_.,„._  GIFT  OF 

FROF,C,A,XOFOID 


1 


f 


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STOLZENFELS,   ON   THE   RHINE. 


SIGHTS  AND  SCENES 


IN 


EUROPE; 

OE, 

PEHCILIHGS  BY  THE  WAY, 


IN  ENGLAND,  SCOTLAND,  IRELAND,  FRANCE,  SWITZERLAND, 
GERMANY,  AND  BELGIUM, 


DURING  A  SHORT  TOUR  IN  THE  SUMMER  AND  AUTUMN  OF  1881, 

BY 

WILLIAM  STEYENSOH. 


ILLUSTRATED. 


FLINT,  MICH.  : 

M.  S.  ELMORE  &  CO.— SPERRY  &  BUSHNELL, 


1882. 


EDDY    PRINTING    AND    PUBLISHING    HOUSE,    FLINT. 


PRE  FAC  E. 


This  volume  is  the  outgrowth  of  a  series  of  letters, 
written  to  the  Flint  Citizen,  from  England,  Scotland, 
Ireland,  France,  Switzerland,  Germany  and  Belgium- 
While  the  matter  has  been  arranged  in  more  convenient 
form,  the  order  of  events  is  strictly  adhered  to,  and  what 
was  written  in  the  hurry  of  continuous  travel  and  sight 
seeing  has  been  carefully  revised. 

It  is  claimed  that  books  describing  European  travel 
can  possess  neither  novelty  nor  interest,  so  thoroughly  has 
the  subject  been  exhausted.  The  interest  manifested  in 
these  letters,  as  first  published,  would  indicate  that  the 
claim  is  not  well  founded.  A  pampered  literary  taste  may 
reject  plain  description,  and  demand  spicy  caricatures, 
dramatic  incidents,  or  a  narrative  in  which  the  places 
visited  are  merely  used  as  threads  on  which  to  string 
witticisms.  Ordinary  readers,  however,  will  continue  to 
derive  satisfaction  from  familiar  descriptions  of  European 
countries  and  scenes,  as  told  by  a  plain  matter  of  fact 
person,  whose  tastes  and  sympathies  are  more  likely  to 


accord  with  theirs  than  the  scintillations  of  the  literary  sen- 
sationalist, or  professional  joker. 

The  author  claims  neither  excellency  of  style,  nor 
originality  of  thought  ;  he  freely  admits  his  indebted- 
ness to  the  guide  books — not  having  taken  the  census 
of  a  single  European  city,  or  measured  one  of  its  ca- 
thedrals—  and  yet,  from  his  standpoint,  sees  no  occa- 
sion to  offer  a  single  apology  for  the  publication  of 
this  book,  or  for  the  character  of  its  contents. 

Flint,    Michigan,   October,    1882.  W.  S. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE    OCEAN     VOYAGE. 

Departure— Life  at  Sea— The  Horizon— Sunday— A  Hymn— Sabbath  Services— 
A  Gale— Not  a  Hymn— Ocean  Experiences— The  Ocean— Its  Teachings- 
Neptune— Amusements— Story  of  the  u  Eastern  Monarch  "— Capt.  John- 
son—Scotch Coast—Firth  of  Clyde—"  How  is  Garfield  ?"— Passing  the  Cus- 
toms—Ashore at  Greenock 11 

CHAPTER    II. 

GLASGOW BIRTH    PLACE    OF    BURNS. 

Glasgow— Cathedral— Necropolis— University— Public  Buildings  and  Parks- 
Streets  —  Prices  —  Rail  to  Ayr  —  Burns1  Cottage  —  Kirk  Alloway  —  Tarn 
O'Shanter— Mungo's  Well  —  Bridge  of  Doon  —  "Bonny  Doon  "—Burns' 
Monument — Museum — Highland  Mary — The  Kirk-yard — The  "  Twa  Brigs  " 
—Burns— His  Writings— Whittier's  Estimate 22 

CHAPTER  III. 

EDINBURGH. 

Edinburgh — Scott's  Monument — The  Castle — Regalia  of  Scotland — Mons  Meg 
— Barracks— St.  Giles — Jenny  Geddes — Parliament  House — Engine — John 
Knox's  House — The  Cannongate — Streets  and  Closes — Holyrood  Abbey — 
Holyrood  Palace— Gallery  of  Portraits — Audience  Chamber — Queen's  Bed- 
room— Supper  Room— The  Grassmarket — Greyfriars'  Churchyard — The 
New  Town— Antiquarian  Gallery— Calton  Hill— The  View— Leith— New  - 
haven  Fishwives—  Scotch  Women— Business  Habits ...  ...  34 


CHAPTER  IV. 

MELROSE    ABBEY ABBOTSFORD. 

To  Melrose— The  Abbey— Scott's  Stone -The  Wizard's  Grave— Tombs— Chapel 
—Sculptures— The  Monks— Village  of  Melrose— To  Abbotsford— House  and 
Grounds— The  Entrance— Hall-Rooms— Armory— Library— Study— Muse- 
um—Suggested  Memories .  .52 


CHAPTER  V. 

LONDON. 

Melrose  to  London— A  Station  Dining-room— London— The  Old  City— Modern 
London-  -The  Albert  Memorial— The  American  Exchange— Charing  Cross 
—Trafalgar  Square— The  National  Gallery— Whitehall— Parliament  House 
—Victoria  Tower— Hall,  Chambers,  Galleries,etc  —House  of  Lords— House 
of  Commons— Clock  Tower— Great  Tom  of  Westminster— Westminster 
Hall— St.  Margaret's  Church 62 

CHAPTER  VI. 

LONDON. 

Westminster  Abbey— Anticipations— First  Impressions— History— A  City  of 
the  Dead— Poet's  Corner— Monuments  and  Memorials— Henry  VII's  Chapel 
—Chapel  of  Edward  the  Confessor— Coronation  Chair— Musings  and  Rec- 
ollections— Outside  Surroundings 81 

CHAPTER    VII. 

LONDON. 

The  Strand— Somerset  House— Law  Courts— Temple  Bar— Fleet  Street— Tem- 
ple Gardens— Ludgate  Hill — St.  Paul's  Church — Sa  bath  Services — Monu- 
ments— Crypt — Tombs  of  Wellington  and  Nelsoa — Whispering  Gallery — 
In  the  Ball — Paternoster  Kow — Newgate — St.  Sulpice's — London  Stone — 
The  Monument—  Billingsgate— Tower  of  London — St.  Thomas'  Tower — 
White  Tower — Chapel  of  St.  John— Horse  Armory — Crown  Jewels — 
Tower  Palace— Prisoners  of  the  Tower — Beauchamp  Tower — Inscriptions 
—Chapel  of  St.  Peter— Ancient  Scaffold— An ne  Boleyn,  Lady  Jane  Grey, 
etc.— By  the  Traitor's  Gate 96 

CHAPTER   VIII. 

PARIS. 

A  Channel  Steamer— Dieppe  -Normancty— Arrival  in  Paris— An  Election- 
Place  de  la  Concorde— Dinner— A  Traveler's  French— Sunday  Night  in 
Paris— The  New  Opera^Tlouse— Grand  Foyer— The  Madelaine— Hotel  des 
Invalides— Arc  de  Triumphe— Buttes  Chaumont— Pere  la  Chaise— Cathed- 
ral of  Notre  Dame— The  Pantheon— Parisian  Churches— The  Music— In  the 
Streets— An  American  Girl 123 

CHAPTER  IX. 

PARIS. 

Champs  Elysees-Bois  de  Boulogne— Palace  of  St.  Cloud-Versailles-Grand 
Trianon-  State  Carriages— Dejeuner— The  Grand  Palace— Grand  Apart- 


ments— Paintings— Theater  and  Church— Sevres  and  its  Museum— Hotel 
de  Ville— Halles  Centrales— The  Tuileries— Place  du  Carrousel— The  Lux- 
embourg—The Louvre— Galleries  —  Egyptian  Department- Museum  of 
Curiosities— Place  de  la  Bastille- Porte  St.  Martin— Column  Vendome  - 
Gobelins— Jottings— Taxation— Future  of  Paris  149 


CHAPTER  X. 

SWITZERLAND. 

Paris  to  Berne — Berne — The  Cathedral  Terrace — Alpine  View — Organ  Concert 
—The  Streets— Swiss  People— The  Bears  of  Berne— Lake  Thun— Interlaken 
—The  Jungfrau— Swiss  Houses— Religious  Service— Sunday  Afternoon- 
Lake  Brienz — Brunig  Pass— Lake  Lucerne — Lucerne — A  Fine  Organ — The 
Lion  of  Lucerne — Vitznau — Rigi  Railroad — View  from  the  Summit— Wil- 
liam Tell— Protestant  and  Catholic— The  Common  Pasturage 178 

CHAPTER  XL 

GERMANY BELGIUM. 

Lucerne  to  Strasburg— Strasburg— The  Cathedral—The  Famous  Clock— A 
Legend— St.  Thomas' Church— Streets  and  Fortifications— Mayence— The 
Cathedral— Market  and  Streets— The  Rhine— Cities,  Villages,  Castles,  and 
Scenery— Cologne -The  Cathedral— Shrine  of  the  Three  Kings— St,  Ursula 
—Bones  and  Relics — Brussels — Hotel  de  Ville — Statues  and  Streets — Water- 
loo—Antwerp— The  Cathedral  — Rubens1  Famous  Picture— •  Antwerp  to 
London 193 


CHAPTER  XII. 

LONDON. 

An  English  Sabbath— Spurgeons'  Tabernacle— The  Great  Preacher— Tower 
Hill— Royal  Exchange— Bank  of  England— Mansion  House— Guildhall- 
Bow  Church— Snaithtield—  Hyde  Park— Parks  and  Gardens— St.  James' 
Palace— Buckingham  Palace— Apsley  House— Underground  Railroad- 
Cabs— Omnibuses— St  .  Giles'— Houndsditch 222 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

LONDON. 

Methodist  Ecumenical  Conference— City  Road  Chapel— Opening  Services- 
Bishop  Simpson's  Sermon— Methodism  in  England— Relics— Bunhill  Fields 
—Windsor  Castle— St.  George's  Hall— St.  George's  Church— Memorial 
Chapel— Round  Tower— South  Kensington  Museum— Courts  and  Galleries 
—Museum  of  Patents— The  Crystal  Palace— Interior— English  Courts— Old 
Jewry— Tourists— Books  of  Travel 243 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

LONDON LIVERPOOL. 

The  British  Museum— Library— Books  and  Manuscripts— Coins— Ornaments 
and  Gems— Egyptian  and  Assyrian  Remains— Rosetta  Stone— Elgin  Mar- 
bles, etc.— Madame  Tussaud's— The  Thames— Greenwich— Victoria  Em- 
bankment—The Obelisk— Temperance— Taxes,  etc.— Liverpool— Docks- 
Public  Buildings— Streets 263 


CHAPTER  XV. 

IRELAND. 

Ireland — The  Jaunting  Car— Belfast — Dromore — Anticipations  and  Disappoint- 
ment—The Old  Cathedral — Grave  by  the  Laggan — Statistics— An  Excursion 
— Downpatrick—  Newcastle  —  Rostrevor — Newry  —  Drogheda — The  River 
Boyne— Dublin— Its  People— Public  Buildings— The  C  astle— Churches— 
Glasnevin— Kingston— Athlone,  etc.— Condition  of  the  Country— Tenant 
Farmers— Land  League— The  Irish  People— Notes  by  the  Way.  etc 290 


SIGHTS  AND  SCENES  IN  EUROPE. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE    OCEAN     VOYAGE. 

Departure— Life  at  Sea— The  Horizon— Sunday— A  Hymn— Sabbath  Services— 
A  Gale— Not  a  Hymn— Ocean  Experiences— The  Ocean— Its  Teachings- 
Neptune — Amusements — Story  of  the  "  Eastern  Monarch  " — Capt.  John- 
son—Scotch Coast -Firth  of  Clyde—"  How  is  Garfieldr'— Passing  the  Cus- 
toms—Ashore at  Greenock. 

"  If  not  on  board  at  7  o'clock  to-morrow  morning  you  will 
get  left,"  said  the  New  York  agent  of  the  State  Line  Steam- 
ship Florida,  as  I  purchased  my  ticket  at  the  office  on  Broad- 
way. I  was  careful  to  be  on  board  an  hour  before  that 
time,  and  as  the  bells  of  the  city  rang  out  the  hour  of  seven 
the  huge  vessel  quietly  moved  from  the  dock,  the  immense 
screw  beginning  its  revolutions,  to  continue  I  hope  till  we 
reach  the  city  of  Glasgow.  That  the  great  ship  with  its 
valuable  cargo  and  stores,  and  still  more  precious  living 
freight,  should  start  on  its  three  thousand  mile  trip  with  the 
promptness  of  an  express  train  surprised  me.  The  leave 
takings  were  hardly  observable,  but  few  of  the  passengers 
residing  in  New  York  or  its  vicinity,  and  our  departure  was 
business-like,  with  but  little  suggestive  of  tears  or  romance. 
The  magnitude  and  possibilities  of  my  undertaking,  how- 
ever, impressed  me  seriously  as  soon  as  I  discovered  the 
ship  to  be  in  motion,  and  I  felt  myself  a  wanderer  on  the 
face  of  the  earth,  or  rather,  of  the  great  deep.  The  man 
who  can  lightly  assume  the  risk  of  a  trip  to  Europe  I  do  not 
1 


12  THE    BOUNDLESS    OCEAN. 

envy,  nor  should  I  be  surprised  if  his  family  were  equally 
indifferent  to  his  return. 

Our  sail  out  of  New  York  Bay  to  Sandy  Hook  was  like  a 
river  excursion,  even  the  swell  of  the  broad  Atlantic  was 
not  unpleasant,  and  the  passengers  as  they  became  ac- 
quainted exchanged  congratulations  on  the  prospect  of  a 
pleasant  voyage.  Ship  life  at  its  best,  and  with  a  calm  sea, 
is  wonderfully  restful — nothing  to  do,  and  a  total  indisposi- 
tion to  doing  anything.  To  kill  time  various  games  are  re- 
sorted to  on  deck,  but  the  voyager  finds  it  difficult  to  inter- 
est himself  and  prefers  lolling  in  an  easy  chair,  gazing  list- 
les*sly  at  the  water,  to  be  aroused  occasionally  by  a  school  of 
porpoises  or  a  passing  ship. 

We  read  of  the  "boundless  ocean,"  and  imagine  a  vast 
expanse  of  water  reaching  as  far  as  the  eye  can  see,  and  yet 
our  ideas  as  to  howr  much  water  is  in  sight  may  be  very  far 
from  correct.  Owing  to  the  convexity  of  the  earth's  surface, 
the  distance  to  the  horizon  is  governed  by  the  elevation  of 
the  observer.  From  the  upper  deck  of  an  ocean  steamer, 
with  the  eye  twenty-five  feet  above  the  water,  the  distance  is 
six  miles,  and  the  ship  is  apparently  sailing  day  after  day  in 
the  center  of  a  small  lake  twelve  miles  in  diameter,  and  this 
is  all  of  the  •  "boundless  ocean"  that  can  possibly  be  seen 
unless  we  climb  higher.  Wer^e  the  eye  six  feet  above  the 
water  the  horizon  would  be  three  miles  distant,  and  if  thirty- 
two  inches  above  the  water  the  distance  would  be  two 
miles. 

There  are  twenty-two  first-cabin  passengers,  among  them 
an  Irish  lord,  an  Episcopal  rector  from  New  York,  the 
president  of  a  Methodist  college  and  the  chaplain  of  a  New 
England  reform  school.  The  ladies  are  agreeable  and  in- 
telligent, and  seme  of  them  quite  proficient  in  music.  There 
is  a  convenient  music  room  with  piano,  and  when  the  sea  is 
favorable  we  are  entertained  with  sweet  sounds.  On  Satur- 


A    HYMN    FOR    THE    SEA.  13 

day  evening  it  seemed  most  natural  to  attend  choir  meeting, 
and  although  an  extra  roll  of  the  ship  would  occasionally 
unseat  the  pianist,  I  considered  the  meeting  a  success. 
The  Sabbath  opened  most  auspiciously,  the  weather  was  all 
that  could  be  desired,  and  it  was  pleasant  to  observe  that 
the  passengers  of  all  grades,  as  well  as  the  ship's  crew,  had 
put  on  their  best  attire  in  honor  of  the  day.  During  the 
morning  hours  I  sat  on  deck  watching  the  busy  waves,  their 
white  crests  dancing  in  the  bright  sunlight,  and  wrote  in  my 
note  book  a 

HYMN  FOR  THE   SEA. 

Eternal  Father,  Sovereign  Lord , 

Whose  glory  fills  the  skies, 
To  Thee,  from  all  that  dwell  below. 

Let  highest  praise  arise. 
Thy  hand  the  moving  waters  spread, 

The  winds  obey  Thy  will, 
And  ocean's  troubled,  heaving  breast 

Thy  mighty  arm  can  still. 
To  Thee,  we  trust  our  feeble  breath, 

Our  ways  are  in  Thy  hand, 
Thy  watchful  care  will  safely  keep- 
Secure  on  sea  as  land. 
Eternal  Father,  Sovereign  Lord, 

Accept  the  praise  we  bring, 
And  when  we  stand  on  crystal  sea 

A  nobler  song  we'll  sing. 

At  ii  o'clock  we  had  Episcopal  service  in  the  cabin,  to 
which  all  the  passengers  were  summoned  by  the  ringing  of 
the  ship's  bell.  Our  rector  from  New  York,  a  clerical  look- 
ing man,  appeared  in  "surplice  and  band"  and  read  the 
beautiful  Episcopal  service  from  the  English  prayer  book, 
furnished  in  quantities  by  the  captain,  careful  however  to 
Americanize  it  where  it  appeared  to  him  necessary,  and  to 
interject  a  fervent  prayer  for  the  recovery  of  President  Gar- 
field.  The  sermon  was  appropriate,  the  choir  did  remarka- 
bly well,  and  the  ocean  conducted  itself  admirably.  I  call 
the  rector's  sermon  appropriate  because  it  had  no  reference 


14  NOT    A    HYMN. 

to  "the  dangers  by  which  we  are  surrounded."     That  con- 
gregation, far  from  home  and  friends,  did  not  need  to  be 
told  that  there  is  but  an  iron  plate  between  them  and  death, 
or  that  in  case  of  fire  most  of  them  would  perish,  or  that  in 
crossing  the  Banks  next  day  in  a  fog  we  might  strike  an  ice- 
berg  and    all    go    to  the   bottom.     A  narrow  minded    man 
might  have  considered  it  a  glorious  opportunity  to  deal  out 
the  "terrors  of  the  Lord,"  and  a  very  small  man  might  have 
succeeded  in  frightening  the  timid  ones  almost  out  of  their 
wits,  but  our  genial  rector  did  no  such  thing,  and  therefore 
I  think  his  sermon  was  singularly  appropriate  to  the  occasion. 
In  the  afternoon  we  had  Methodist  service  on  deck,  and  in 
the  evening  an  interesting  praise  meeting  in  the  music  room. 
On  Monday  the  wind  had  increased  to  a  gale,  and  the 
large  ship  was  tossed  on  the  ocean  as  if  a  row  boat,  the 
waves  dashing  over  the  sides  and  keeping  the  decks  con- 
stantly wet.      Most   of   the   passengers    became    sea    sick. 
Very  early  in  the  storm  I  began  to  feel  serious,  and  like  a 
boy  in  trouble,  I  wanted  to  "go  home."     That  being  im- 
possible I  determined  to  reside  permanently  in  Europe,  if  I 
lived  to-  reach  the  other  side,  and  in  a  short  time  did  n't  care 
a  cent  where  I  went  or  stayed.     During  semi-lucid  intervals 
I  took  to  scribbling  rhyme.     Should  it  seem  to  follow  too 
closely  some  other  lunatic's  attempt  in  the  same  direction, 
I    can   only — like    Dr.     Lorimer — plead     "saturation,"    as 
there  was  no  conscious  plagiarism  in  inditing  the  following, 
which  is 

NOT  A  HYMN. 

O,  the  sea,  the  silver  sea  ! 
Smiling  like  a  winsome  maiden. 
Bearing  hopes  with  joys  o'erladen; 
O,  the  sea! 

O.  the  sea.  the  noble  sea! 
Now  its  liquid  waves  are  swelling, 
Of  its  mighty  conquests  telling; 
O,  the  sea! 


OCEAN    EXPERIENCES.  15 

O,  the  sea,  the  merry  sea! 
Fun  to  see  a  fellow  walking; 
Well, — Ican^t  -  there's  no  use  talking; 
O,  the  sea! 

O,  the  sea,  the  awful  sea! 
Sudden  pains  my  stomach  retching, 
As  I  pass,  the  hand  rail  catching; 
O,  the  sea! 


O,  the  sea,  the  horrid  sea! 
Worse  than  wine  this  cursed  mocker — 
Dinner  gone  to  Jones'  locker; 
O,  the  sea! 

O,  the  sea,  the  cruel  sea! 
If  on  thee  again  a  rover, 
Hope  some  one  will  throw  me  over; 
O,  the  sea! 

The  stars  are  intended  to  indicate  an  intermission  of  five 
minutes,  or  less,  to  attend  to  an  act  of  charity,  popularly 
and  humorously  called  at  sea  "feeding  the  fishes." 

Ocean  experiences  have  been  often  related,  and  some  may 
think  they  have  so  far  lost  their  interest  by  repetition  that 
they  should  be  omitted  altogether.  But  the  great  American 
dailies,  that  reflect  so  truly  the  popular  taste,  do  not  reason 
in  this  way.  They  spare  no  expense  to  collect  for  their 
Saturday  editions,  by  special  reporters  and  by  telegraph,  the 
hangings  of  the  previous  day  throughout  the  length  and 
breadth  of  the  great  republic — and  there  is  more  sameness 
in  hangings  than  in  ocean  voyages.  The  hero  of  the  occa- 
sion always  rests  well  the  night  before,  and  no  matter  how 
many  or  aggravated  his  crimes,  graciously  forgives  every- 
body, invariably  closing  his  pious  valedictory  with  a 
general  and  cordial  invitation  to  the  lookers-on  to  meet  him 
in  the  happy  hunting  grounds.  Now  in  an  ocean  voyage  the 
experiences,  and  the  degrees  of  misery,  are  various.  Some- 
times the  vessel  pitches  and  sometimes  it  rolls,  the  most 
agreeable  form  of  either  being  that  which  is  absent.  You 


l6  CAUSES   OF  DISCOMFORT. 

seldom  strike  the  deck  twice  at  the  same  angle,  and  it  is 
now  the  soup  and  now  the  coffee  you  receive  in  your  bosom 
at  the  table.  While  sea  sickness  may,  in  most  cases,  present 
the  same  general  features,  there  is  a  wonderful  variety  in 
the  remedies  employed.  Among  those  recommended  to  me 
I  may  mention  eating  heartily  and  fasting,  cathartics  and 
emetics,  homeopathic  appo-morphia  and  allopathic  blue-pill, 
sitting  on  deck  and  remaining  in  my  berth,  brandy  and  gruel, 
beef  tea  and  salt  pork,  painting  myself  with  collodion  and 
wearing  a  liver  pad  ! 

The  gymnastics  practised  on  deck  are  surprising,  but 
those  performed  in  the  state  room  are  on  the  whole  more 
difficult,  and  introduce,  as  the  circus  bills  say,  "novel  and 
startling  effects."  Making  your  morning  ablution  holding 
on  with  one  hand,  and  marking  with  your  feet  the  segment 
of  a  circle  around  the  corner  where  the  wash  basin  is  an- 
chored, with  all  the  variations  which  your  cramped  position 
imposes,  is  a  severe  test  of  piety.  The  effort  to  undress  and 
stow  yourself  away  on  the  rocking  and  pitching  shelf  where 
your  nights  are  spent  is  a  serious  and  sometimes  difficult 
matter.  The  state  room  door  and  berth  act  as  "buffers," 
between  which  you  are  tossed  back  and  forth  like  a  shuttle- 
cock. 

But  there  is  one  cause  of  discomfort  that  never  ceases. 
That  immense  auger,  the  screw,  began  at  New  York  to 
bore  a  hole  to  Glasgow,  3,000  miles  distant.  It  revolves 
about  fifty  times  a  minute,  and  with  a  monotonous  and  ex- 
asperating regularity,  giving  a  peculiar  and  disagreeable 
throb  or  pulsation  to  the  whole  ship.  At  night  especially, 
with  nothing  to  distract  the  attention,  it  is  to  the  nervous  a 
cause  of  great  irritation.  One  of  the  dreariest  of  sounds  is 
the  wash  of  the  sea  against  the  ship's  sides,  as  heard  from 
the  berths,  with  nothing  but  the  iron  plates  between. 
Even  the  storm  that  sends  the  waves  with  powerful  strokes 


SENSE    OF    DANGER.  I'J 

as  with  a  mighty  hammer  to  break  in  the  ship's  sides,  is  a 
welcome  relief  from  the  monotonous  swash  of  the  ordinary 
sea. 

There  is  nothing  joyous  or  assuring  in  the  ocean,  how- 
ever we  may  admire  its  ever  changing  forms  and  hues.  It 
is  the  emblem  of  remorseless  power,  not  of  mercy  or  favor. 
The  study  of  nature  on  land  may  leave  impressions  of  the 
Divine  goodness,  but  on  the  ocean,  never.  "Cruel  as  the 
grave  "  would  be  more  forcible  if  rendered  "  cruel  as  the  sea." 
The  grave  but  furnishes  a  cherished  resting  place  for  the 
remains  of  our  loved  ones.  The  sea  receives  their  living 
forms  in  its  chill  embrace  to  engulph  them  forever.  "  Mother 
earth  "  seems  the  natural  home  for  the  remains  of  her  sons, 
but  what  so  dreary  and  •  repulsive  as  a  burial  at  sea  ?  Its 
winds  recall  not  nodding  branches  or  rustling  leaves  ;  they 
bear  no  fragrance  of  woods  and  flowers.  Theirs  to  sound 
the  requiem  of  departed  hopes,  or 

u  Mock  the  cry 
Of  some  strong  swimmer  in  Ms  agony  " 

However  it  may  be  with  sailors,  there  is  with  the  ordinary 
landsman  an  ever  present  sense  of  danger.  He  looks  down 
through  a  grating  on  deck  thirty  or  forty  feet  and  discovers 
that  the  bottom  of  the  ship  is  a  mass  of  fire,  confined  in  fur- 
naces it  is  true,  but  still  fire  ;  and  grimy  and  sweating  men 
ascending  from  the  fiery  region  to  cool  themselves  remind 
him  of  possible  danger  from  that  element.  The  boats  swung 
so  as  to  be  lowered  in  the  least  possible  time  suggest  danger 
by  water.  Indeed,  every  precautionary  arrangement,  and 
they  are  numerous,  as  well  as  every  special  care  on  the  part 
of  officers  and  crew  speak  of  possible  peril.  Poets  may  in- 
vest the  sea  with  all  sorts  of  foolish  romance,  to  the  great 
deception  of  landsmen,  but  the  only  real  comfort  of  an 
ocean  voyage  is  its  successful  termination.  The  man  who 
wrote  of  "a  home  on  the  rolling  deep"  must,  if  not  an  ar- 


l8  AMUSEMENTS    ON    SHIPBOARD. 

rant  hypocrite,  have  been  brought  up  in  a  poor  house  or 
under  the  eagle  eye  of  a  step  mother  with  more  bantlings  of 
her  own  than  she  could  care  for.  "Home"  and  the  "roll- 
ing deep  "  are  the  antipodes  of  each  other. 

Neptune  I  am  afraid  must  look  with  contempt  on  the 
mortals  that  cross  his  domain  ;  the  tottering  step,  woe-be- 
gone  look,  and  forebodings  of  danger  that  affect  the  greater 
number  must  give  him  a  poor  opinion  of  human  nature. 
And  then,  if  he  keeps  a  stenographer — if  all  the  solemn  vows 
made  at  sea  are  recorded  !  Good  heavens  what  a  possibility  ! 
As  a  party  interested,  and  on  behalf  of  all  that  "  go  down  to 
the  sea  in  ships,"  I  protest  against  the  jurisdiction,  and 
competency  of  the  record — on  shore.  I  am  afraid  the 
Irishman  who  promised  the  Virgin  to  devote  a  large  sum  to 
charitable  uses  if  safely  landed,  and  when  reminded  by  a 
companion  of  his  promise  replied,  "An'  faith  the  Vargin 
Mairy  '11  nivir  ketch  me  at  say  agin,"  is  but  a  type  of  the 
majority. 

On  shipboard  many  expedients  are  resorted  to,  to  inter- 
est and  amuse.  During  the  fine  weather,  games  of  "  shovel- 
board  "and  "ring  toss"  were  played  on  deck.  Since  that 
time,  music,  recitations,  riddles  and  story-telling  have  re- 
lieved somewhat  the  dreariness  of  the  cabin.  A  story  told 
by  a  lady  from  Chatham,  Ontario,  interested  me  very  much. 

"In  1858  the  Eastern  Monarch  left  England  for  Austra- 
lia, with  two  hundred  and  fifty  emigrant  passengers,  of  all 
ages.  At  sea  the  vessel  was  discovered  to  be  on  fire,  and 
on  an  ocean  where  for  the  preceding  ten  days  not  a  vessel* 
had  been  seen.  A  panic  ensued,  the  sailors  making  for  the 
boats,  with  the  intention  of  deserting  the  ship  and  leaving 
the  emigrants  to  their  fate.  The  captain  coolly  presented 
his  pistols,  with  the  emphatic  declaration  that  the  first  man 
who  attempted  to  lower  a  boat  would  be  a  dead  man  on 
the  spot,  and  that  his  orders  must  be  implicitly  obeyed. 


STORY    OF    THE 

>• 

Order  was  restored,  the  hatches  battened  down  to  confine 
the  fire,  and  everything  possible  done  for  its  extinguishment, 
but  to  no  purpose.  It  was  the  third  day  since  the  fire  had 
been  discovered  and  the  flames  were  bursting  from  their 
confinement.  A  sailor  on  the  look-out  reported  no  sail  in 
sight.  In  this,  their  great  extremity,  an  old  woman  of 
seventy  years  exclaimed,  "I  see  a  ship  !"  and  sure  enough  a 
distant  vessel  greeted  their  eyes,  and  proved  to  be  the  ship 
Merchantman  from  England  for  India  with  troops.  She 
came  to  their  aid,  and  every  passenger  was  removed  in  safety 
from  the  ship,  which  was  now  in  flames.  After  this  it  was 
thirteen  days  before  the  Merchantman  sighted  another 
vessel." 

The  lady  who  told  us  the  story  was  especially  interested 
in  it  from  the  fact  that  her  son  was  at  the  time  second  offi- 
cer on  board  the  Merchantman.  After  we  had  in  turn 
commended  the  noble  conduct  of  the  captain  who  stood  so 
bravely  by  his  emigrant  passengers,  one  of  the  stewards, 
who  had  listened  to  the  story,  quietly  remarked,  "  That  man 
is  Captain  Johnson  of  our  ship."  This  proved  to  be  true  ; 
our  social  kind  hearted  captain  was  the  hero  of  the  Eastern 
Monarch.  Queen  Victoria  gave  him  a  gold  watch,  and  the 
Royal  Humane  society  a  gold  medal.  Frank  Leslie  pub- 
lished his  portrait,  but  as  he  was  at  that  time  a  young  man 
and  his  picture  in  the  illustrated  weekly  represented  him 
as  a  gray-beard,  he  rather  holds  a  grudge  against  the  pub- 
lisher. 

For  six  days  we  had  clouds  and  fog,  and  during  all  that 
time  our  captain  was  unable  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  sun. 
Running  by  what  is  called  "dead  reckoning"  is  not  con- 
sidered one  of  the  exact  sciences,  and  it  was  a  great  relief 
when  we  sighted  the  lighthouse  on  Tory  Island,  on  the 
north-west  coast  of  Ireland.  Passing  between  the  Irish 
Island  of  Rathlin  and  a  Scotch  promontory  known  as  the 


20  A    SCOTCH    PILOT. 

Mull  of  Cantire,  we  entered  the  Firth  of  Clyde.  Finer 
scenery  is  seldom  found  than  betwen  the  Island  of  Arran 
and  Greenock,  and  as  we  passed  up  the  Firth  the  morning 
sun  shone  brightly  on  the  hills,  mountains,  rocks,  bays,  in- 
lets, towns  and  villas  on  each  side.  Among  the  towns  may 
be  mentioned  Ardrossan,  Millport,  Dunoon,  Greenock,  Roth- 
say  and  Kilcraggan.  The  Islands  of  Arran,  Bute,  Cumbrae, 
and  others  of  less  note  were  passed.  I  was  much  amused 
by  a  story,  told  by  an  old  Scotch  gentleman,  of  the  pastor-  of 
the  church  at  Cumbrae,  who  was  accustomed  to  pray  for 
his  little  parish  as  follows  :  "God  bless  little  Cumbrae,  big 
Cumbrae,  Bute  and  the  adjacent  Islands  of  Great  Britain  and 
Ireland." 

A  pilot  came  on  board,  a  staid-looking  Scotchman,  and 
was  greeted  by  a  hundred  voices  in  chorus,  "  How's  Gar- 
field  ?"  "What's  the  latest?"  "How's  the  President,  is  he 
alive  ?"  etc.  He  seemed  puzzled,  but  looked  calmly  on  the 
noisy,  gesticulating  crowd,  and  spoke  not.  Some  one  seized 
a  newspaper  that  protruded  from  his  pocket  and  it  proved 
to  be  a  Glasgow  morning  paper,  but  contained  no  news 
from,  the  sufferer  at  Washington.  All  that  could  be  obtained 
from  the  owner  of  the  paper  in  reply  to  our  eager  inquiries 
was,  "I  hav'na  heerd  ;  he  is'na  deed  that  I  knaw  o';"  and 
with  this  the  anxious  but  somewhat  disgusted  crowd  of 
Americans,  who  had  for  ten  days  discussed  earnestly  and 
apprehensively  the  President's  condition,  were  obliged  to  be 
content.  "  WTe  know  just  as  much  now  as  if  we  had  all  the 
morning  telegrams  in  the  New  York  papers  to  select  from," 
remarked  a  clergyman  of  a  satirical  turn  of  mind.  "  Where 
ignorance  is  Bliss " — began  a  young  M.  D.  from  Chicago, 
but  the  threatening  looks  of  the  passengers  warned  him  that 
punning  is  out  of  place  on  shipboard. 

We  anchored  in  the  river  opposite  Greenock,  and  were 
soon  visited  by  a  tug,  evidently  on  official  business.  The 


ASHORE    AT    GREENOCK.  21 

passengers  were  requested  to  place  their  baggage  in  line 
and  open  it.  I  suggested  to  some  of  the  passengers  who 
had  but  seldom  appeared  at  the  abundantly  supplied  table, 
that  probably  the  Company  was  about  to  reimburse  us  for 
the  lost  meals  by  sending  the  steward  to  place  a  handsome 
present  in  each  man's  baggage.  At  this  moment  a  man  of 
bustling  importance  approached,  and  pointing  to  my  valise 
which  headed  the  line,  and  without  being  introduced  or  mak- 
ing any  inquiry  as  to  my  moral  or  social  status  in  the  United 
States,  remarked  in  a  tone  of  peremptory  inquiry  :  "  Any 
liquors  or  tobacco  in  that  bag?"  I  was  so  surprised  that 
such  a  question  should  be  asked  me,  that  I  presume  I  hesi- 
tated before  giving  a  decided  "No."  This  encouraged  him, 
and  seizing  my  valise  he  gave  the  contents  a  good  shaking 
up.  He  looked  disappointed,  and  made  a  chalk-mark  on 
the  outside,  meaning  I  suppose  "no  use,"  to  deter  other  fel- 
lows who  were  looking  for  liquors  and  tobacco  from  trying 
the  same  game.  "Passing  the  customs"  this  ceremony  is 
called  in  Scotland. 

On  stepping  ashore  at  Greenock  the  first  person  to  accost 
me  was  a  big  barefo6ted  Scotchwoman,  with  a  basket  of  very 
large  red  gooseberries  on  her  arm.  She  picked  out  the 
biggest  and  ripest  berry  and  handed  it  to  me,  saying  in  the 
vernacular  of  the  country  :  "Tak  yin  sir,  thir  gude."  I  was 
so  overcome  by  her  unexpected  hospitality  that  I  at  once 
invested  in  the  fruit. 

Greenock  contains  a  population  of  about  60,000,  has  a 
fine  wharf,  and  is  the  seat  of  a  large  iron  manufacturing  and 
ship  building  trade.  The  very  largest  vessels  find  it  incon- 
venient, though  possible,  to  navigate  the  Clyde  above 
Greenock,  and  many  of  them  stop  here.  It  is  twenty-three 
miles  to  Glasgow  by  railroad. 


22 


CHAPTER  II. 

GLASGOW BIRTH    PLACE    OF    BURNS. 

Glasgow— Cathedral— Necropolis— University— Public  Buildings  and  Parks- 
Streets  —  Prices  —  Rail  to  Ayr  —  Burns'  Cottage  —  Kirk  Alloway  —  Tarn 
O'Shanter— Mungo's  Well  —  Bridge  of  Doon  —  '-Bonny  Doon  "—  Burns' 
Monument— Museum— Highland  Mary— The  Kirk-yard— The  "  Twa  Brigs  1? 
—Burns— His  Writings— Whittier's  Estimate. 

Glasgow  has  a  population  of  about  half  a  million,  and 
dates  from  a  Culdee  cell  built  by  St.  Mungo  about  the  year 
560.  It  is  chiefly  on  the  north  side  of  the  river  Clyde, 
which  runs  through  the  city,  and  is  about  three  miles  in 
length  from  East  to  West,  and  two  miles  in  width,  if  we 
estimate  the  compact  portions.  The  suburbs,  however 
stretch  much  farther  in  every  direction.  Its  principal  busi- 
ness street,  Argyle,  and  its  continuation,  Trongate  street, 
are*  well  built,  as  is  indeed  all  the  business  part  of  the  city. 
The  building  material  used  is  a  light  colored  sandstone 
easily  polished  and  carved,  and  it  has  a  fine  and  substantial 
appearance.  St.  George's  Square,  containing  the  Post- 
office,  Bank  of  Scotland,  and  several  hotels,  was  the  place  I 
first  visited.  It  contains  monuments  to  Queen  Victoria, 
Prince  Albert,  Sir  Walter  Scott,  Sir  Robert  Peel,  Sir  John 
Moore,  Lord  Clyde,  James  Watt,  Robert  Burns,  and  David 
Livingstone. 

In  Glasgow,  a  great  deal  may  be  seen  by  riding  on  the 
outside  of  the  "tram  cars"  (street  cars).  The  intelligent 
people  you  ride  with  are  able  and  very  willing  to  afford 
any  desired  information  in  regard  to  all  matters  of  local 
interest. 

The   cathedral,  founded  in   1136,  is  built  on  the  reputed 


THE    CATHEDRAL.  23 

site  of  St.  Mungo's  cell  on  the  highest  ground  in  the  city. 
It  affords  one  of  the  finest  views  of  the  valley  of  the  Clyde, 
and  I  could  not  help  admiring  the  good  taste  exhibited  by 
the  saint  in  securing  such  an  eligible  location  for  his  cell 
Entering  the  cathedral  I  was  impressed  with  its  great  size, 
the  massive  style  of  architecture,  and  the  magnificence  of 
its  windows,  which  are  said  to  contain  the  most  brilliant  dis- 
play of  stained  glass  to  be  found  in  Great  Britian.  There 
are  over  eighty  of  these  windows,  and  at  least  half  of  them 
are  thirty  feet  high,  each  giving  a  Bible  story  in  beautiful 
colored  pictures  from  designs  by  eminent  artists.  The 
cathedral  is  over  three  hundred  feet  long  and  about  sixty 
feet  wide,  and  owing  to  its  immense  size  the  greater  part  of 
it  is  unoccupied.  It  was,  of  course,  before  the  Reformation 
used  for  Catholic  worship,  but  is  n<5w  used  by  the  Estab- 
lished Church  of  Scotland.  The  great  crypt  is  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five  feet  long  and  was  formerly  used  for  re- 
ligious worship  and  is  spoken  of  as  "one  of  the  finest  speci- 
mens of  architecture  in  Great  Britain."  I  found  it  difficult 
however  in  the  "dim  religious  light"  which  is  permitted  to 
enter  through  its  windows  to  take  in  its  fine  points.  It  was 
used  for  burial  purposes,  and  contained  the  tonibs  and 
monuments  of  many  prelates  and  high  dignitaries  of  the 
church,  but  at  the  Reformation  these,  being  regarded  as 
"signs  of  idolatry,"  were  destroyed  by  the  fanatics  of  the 
day.  The  effigy  of  a  single  bishop,  lacking  a  head,  however, 
is  about  all  that  remains  of  these  works  of  art. 

On.  a  high  hill  in  the  rear  of  the  cathedral  rises  the  Ne- 
cropolis, a  cemetery  for  Glasgow's  honored  dead.  The  hill 
side  is  terraced  in  winding  walks  rising  above  each  other  to 
the  summit,  and  its  elegant  and  costly  monuments  are  so 
crowded  the  appearance  is  rather  that  of  an  immense  mar- 
ble factory  than  a  cemetery  ;  indeed  from  below  you  see 
nothing  but  granite  and  marble.  Among  its  monuments 


24  PUBLIC    BUILDINGS. 

are  those  of  Dr.  Dick,  Sheridan  Knowles  and  Motherwell, 
the  poet.  There  is  also  near  the  summit  a  fine  Corinthian 
shaft  and  statue  to  John  Knox,  and  on  the  shaft  is  this  in- 
scription :  "  When  laid  in  the  ground,  the  regent  said, '  There 
lieth  he  who  never  feared  the  face  of  man,  who  was  often 
threatened  with  dag  and  dagger,  yet  hath  ended  his  days  in 
peace  and  honor.'"  Some  of  the  more  imposing  and  gaudy 
monuments  are  of  those  who  merely  "made  money"  in 
Glasgow,  but  this  defect  and  misfortune  may  be  observed 
in  cemeteries  in  all  countries. 

The  university  is  an  immense  structure,  and  though  occu- 
pied for  some  time  is  hardly  completed  yet.  I  shall  not  at- 
tempt to  describe  it.  I  visited  the  celebrated  Hunterian 
Museum  in  a  part  of  the  building,  filled  with  objects  of  in- 
terest in  science,  arts  and  literature,  also  the  library  contain- 
ing 300,000  volumes.  I  came  away  with  an  overpowering 
sense  of  the  vast  amount  of  knowledge  unattainable,  and  of 
the  multitude  of  books  that  will  never  be  read.  One  of  the 
finest  buildings  in  Glasgow  is  the  Royal  Exchange,  costing  a 
quarter  of  a  million  dollars,  in  front  of  which  stands  a  fine 
equestrian  statue  of  the  Duke  of  Wellington.  The  Royal 
Bank,  Mechanics'  Institution,  some  of  the'hotels  and  nearly 
all  the  churches  are  fine  buildings.  The  Queen's  Park  and 
Kelvin  Park  are  handsomely  laid  out  and  well  kept.  In  Kel- 
yin  Park  I  had  the  great  pleasure  of  hearing  an  open-air 
concert  by  the  band  of  the  yist  Highlanders.  From  three 
to  five  thousand  persons,  mostly  of  the  middle  and  poorer 
classes,  were  in  attendance.  The  music  was  very  f  fine, 
especially  the  Scottish  airs.  At  intervals  during  the  per- 
formance, four  pipers  armed  with  that  instrument  of  torture, 
the  bag-pipes,  with  drone,  promenaded  through  the  crowd  to 
the  great  delight  of  young  Scotland. 

While  the  streets  of  Glasgow  during  business  hours  pre- 
sent a  busy  appearance,  being  almost  as  crowded  as  Chicago 


THE    STREETS.  25 

or  New  York,  the  crowds  move  much  more  slowly  than  in 
American  cities — indeed  nobody  seems  to  be  in  a  great 
hurry  about  anything.  The  stores  are  not  open  till  nine 
o'clock,  and  then  the  blinds  are  removed  as  if  it  were  more 
a  matter  of  habit  than  with  any  expectation  of  immediate 
results.  At  six  o'clock  the  stores  are  closed,  which  in  this 
latitude  at  this  time  of  the  year  is  full  three  hours  before 
dark.  Great  good  taste  is  displayed  in  the  arrangement  of 
goods  in  the  windows.  The  grocery  stores,  where  one 
would  least  expect  it,  are  especially  noticeable  in  this  regard. 
The  liquor  shops  are  numerous  and  do  not  seem  to  lack 
customers.  I  have  been  amused  in  reading  the  street  signs 
to  find  "Bread  Factory,"  "Leather  Emporium,"  "Millinery 
Ware-rooms,"  etc.,  but  most  surprised  at  finding  a  "Boot 
and  Shoe  repairing  factory!'  I  find,  however,  that  I  am  in  a 
land  of  cheapness.  "  Black  your  boots  for  a  penny  !  "  Carry 
your  luggage  for  a  penny  !"  were  some  of  the  street  sounds 
I  heard,  and  when  my  traveling  companion  left  his  measure 
for  a  black  cloth  coat,  (ready  the  next  day  at  the  same  hour) 
price  two  pounds  two  shillings,  about  $10.15,  I  felt  as  if  it 
would  be  a  good  thing  to  buy  a  stock  of  clothing  in  Scot- 
land. The  coat  looks  well  and  is  as  the  owner  says,  "  good 
enough  to  preach  in." 

Being  in  the  land  of  Burns,  in  company  with  a  Methodist 
minister  from  Louisiana,  and  the  chaplain  of  a  New  England 
reform  school,  I  took  an  early  train  to  visit  the  poet's 
birthplace.  A  finer  day  could  hardly  be  imagined.  The 
sun's  rays  were  softened  by  a  slight  haze,  and  the  air  was 
mild  yet  bracing.  Our  destination  by  rail  was  the  town 
of  Ayr,  forty  miles  distant.  In  four  miles  we  pass  Crook- 
ton  Castle,  now  in  ruins,  once  inhabited  by  Mary  Queen  of 
Scots.  Three  miles  farther  is  the  city  of  Paisley  with 
50,000  population,  and  noted  for  its  shawls  and  cotton 
thread.  A  short  distance  from  Paisley  is  the  Oak  of 


26  BURNS'  COTTAGE. 

Elderslie,  under  which  William  Wallace  hid  from  the  En- 
glish forces.  At  Kilwinning  Junction  is  seen  the  ruins  of 
an  old  Priory,  the  founders  of  which  are  said  to  have  intro- 
duced Free-masonry  into  Scotland.  We  next  reach  the 
town  of  Irvine,  well  built,  with  a  population  of  8,000. 
Burns  lived  here  once,  and  here  Robert  Bruce  surrendered 
to  the  English  army  under  Percy.  A  short  distance  from 
Irvine  we  pass  the  Castle  of  Dundonald,  and  soon  reach 
the  village  of  Troon,  a  watering  place  on  the  lower  Clyde. 
On  reaching  Ayr,  we  declined  the  offer  of  a  good  carriage 
at  a  moderate  price,  preferring  to  make  the  further  pil- 
grimage of  two  and  a  half  miles  on  foot.  The  road  was 
excellent,  and  our  way  lay  through  verdant  fields  and  well 
kept  grounds. 

We  soon  reached  the  venerable  building  where  the  poet 
was  born.  It  is  a  very  low  one-story  stone  cottage  with 
thatched  roof,  and  consists  simply  of  a  "  but  and  ben,"  or 
room  and  kitchen.  The  bed  stands  in  an  alcove  off  the 
kitchen,  and  a  large  card  suspended  over  it  warns  visitors 
not  to  "jump  into  the  bed,"  just  as  if  anvbody  would  think 
of  catching  the  divine  afflatus  in  that  way  !  The  kitchen 
is  unaltered  ;  the  old  fire-place  with  its  internal  arrange- 
ments, and  the  griddle  on  wrhich  the  "  scones  "  and  oat  cake 
were  baked,  are  still  preserved.  The  old  clock,  made  in 
Ayr,  still  stands  in  the  kitchen.  Burns'  candlestick,  and  a 
manuscript  copy  of  his  poems  in  the  author's  hand-writing 
are  also  exhibited.  The  room  adjoining  is,  after  the  manner 
of  such  places,  used  as  a  salesroom  for  mementoes  of  Burns, 
made  mostly  from  wood  cut  on  the  banks  of  the  Boon.  I 
was  very  thankful  that  the  kitchen  had  been  spared  from 
such  desecration. 

Our  walk  from  Ayr, 

"  Auld  Ayr,  wham  ne'er  a  town  surpasses 
For  honest  men  and  bonny  lasses,1' 


KIRK    ALLOWAY.  27 

was  on  the  very  road  travelled  by  Tarn  O'Shanter  on  *'  his 
grey  mare  Meg,"  that  eventful  night,  when 

"  The  wind  blew  as  'twad  blawn  its  last; 
The  rattling  showers  rose  on  the  blast; 
The  speedy  gleam  the  darkness  swallow'd ; 
Loud,  deep,  and  lang,  the  thunder  bellow'd; 
That  night,  a  child  might  understand 
The  de'il  had  business  on  his  hand." 

About  half  a  mile  from  Burns'  cottage,  we  reach  "  Alloway's 
auld  haunted  k;rk."  The  building  is  roofless  and  fast  go- 
ing to  decay.  There  is  a  bell  cote  on  the  gable,  and  the 
old  bell  yet  remains.  We  looked  through  the  front  window 
as  Tarn  had  done,  and  saw,  not  a  witches  dance,  but  a  col- 
lection of  shovels  and  an  old  wheelbarrow  almost  covered 
with  rank  weeds.  It  required  unquestioning  faith  in  the 
poet  to  suppose  that  the  little  church  afforded  room  for 
more  than  one  such  dancer  as  mt  Cutty-sark,"  and  when  she 
"lap  and  flang,"  his  satanic  majesty,  who  played  the  bag- 
pipes on  that  occasion,  must  have  been  content  to  occupy  a 
corner.  The  fact  that  he  practises  on  the  bagpipes  is  a 
significant  one,  and  as  such,  1  commend  it  to  theologians. 
While  quarreling  about  fire  and  brimstone,  have  they  ever 
carefully  considered  the  possibilities  of  an  eternity  of  bag- 
pipes !  In  view  of  such  a  contingency,  might  it  not  be 
prudent  for  the  "  Liberals  "  to  accept,  as  a  compromise,  the 
orthodox  arrangement  ? 

Among  the  places  described  by  Burns,  on  the  road  from 
Ayr  to  the  Boon,  is  the  well 

"  Whare  Mungo's  mither  hang'd  hersel." 

It  is  within  a  few  rods  of  Kirk  Alloway,  and  though  but 
mentioned  by  the  poet  as  one  of  the  places  that  Tarn  passed 
on  his  midnight  ride,  is  fenced  in  and  exhibited  for  a  small 
admission  fee  ! — an  arrangement  worthy  of  Niagara  Falls. 

We  continued  on  to  the  bridge  of  Doon,  about  fifty  rods 
from    the  kirk,  and   where   Tarn's   ride  culminated   in   the 


28  BURNS'  MONUMENT. 

peculiar  disaster  to  his  mare.  It  is  a  high,  narrow,  and  in- 
convenient structure,  its  center  being  occupied  by  a  row  of 
posts,  permitting  only  travellers  on  foot  to  pass.  Sitting 
above  its  keystone  we  recited  and  laughed  over  the  inci- 
dents narrated  in  "  Tarn  O'Shanter,"  the  best  known,  and 
most  popular  of  Burns'  poems.  The  Doon  is  a  small  stream, 
and  from  the  loveliness  of  its  scenery,  is  well  entitled  to  the 
name  given  it  by  Burns,  "Bonny  Doon."  I  descended  to 
the  water's  edge,  picked  a  few  pebbles  from  the  bed  of  the 
stream,  and  had  a  leisurely  stroll 

"  Among  the  bonny  winding  banks 
Where  Doon  rins  wimplin'  clear." 

On  the  banks  of  the  Doon  and  not  far  from  the  bridge  i& 
Burns'  Monument,  erected  in  1820  It  is  a  circular  struc- 
ture, in  the  Grecian  style,  and  about  sixty  feet  high.  The- 
grounds  cover  about  two  acres,  and  are  finely  kept.  In  a 
grotto  near  the  monument,  are  the  original  and  justly  cele- 
brated figures  of  Tarn  O'Shanter  and  Souter  Johnny,  in, 
freestone,  by  the  sculptor  Thorn.  Every  detail  of  garb,, 
even  to  patches  and  shoe-strings  appears,  and  the  perfect 
abandon  of  the  pair,  as  they  sit  with  filled  mugs,  enjoying; 
their  toddy,  and  pledging  each  other,  cannot  be  described. 
In  a  circular  room  in  the  monument  is  a  fine  marble  bust 
of  the  poet  by  Park,  and  a  number  of  very  interesting  relics- 
— Nanse  Tinnock's  "  quaich,"  or  beer  measure  ;  rings  con- 
taining Burns'  hair ;  the  wedding  ring  of  his  "  bonnie  Jean," 
&c.  But  that  which  was  to  me  of  most  interest  was  the 
Bible  presented  by  Burns  to  his  beloved  Highland  Mary.. 
Their  parting  was  the  subject  of  one  of  his  finest. poems. 

"Ye  banks,  and  braes,  and  streams  around 

Th<3  castle  o1  Montgomery, 
Green  be  your  woods,  and  fair  your  flowers, 

Your  waters  never  drumlie  ! 
There  simmer  first  unfauld  her  robes, 

And  there  the langest  tarry; 
For  there  I  took  the  last  fareweel 

O1  my  sweet  Highland  Mary. 


THE  KIRKYARD.  29 

Mary  was  a  servant  in  the  house  of  Col.  Montgomery, 
and  Burns'  attachment  for  her  seems  to  have  been  the 
strongest  and  purest  of  his  life.  He  was  engaged  to  be 
married  to  her,  but  previous  to  their  wedding  Mary  deter- 
mined to  pay  a  visit  to  her  friends  in  another  part  of  Scot- 
land. On  a  May  Sunday  morning,  each  standing  on  a  dif- 
ferent side  of  a  small  stream,  they  bathed  their  hands  in  the 
'water,  and,  holding  a  Bible  between  them,  swore  eternal 
constancy  They  never  met  again,  as  Mary  was  taken  ill 
on  her  journey  and  died.  It  was  on  the  anniversary  of  her 
death  he  wrote  what  is  considered  the  noblest  of  all  his 
poems  "To  Mary  in  Heaven." 

"  Thou  ling'ring  star  with  less'ning  ray, 

That  lovest  to  greet  the  early  morn, 
Again  thou  usher'st  in  the  day 

My  Mary  from  my  soul  was  torn. 
O  Mary!  dear  departed  shade  ! 

Where  is  thy  place  of  blissful  rest? 
See'st  thou  thy  lover  lowly  laid? 

Hear'st  thou  the  groans  that  rend  his  breast;? " 

The  Bible  I  have  mentioned  as  in  the  museum  of  the 
monument,  is  the  one  used  at  parting.  On  the  inside  of 
the  cover  is,  written  by  Burns  and  signed  with  his  Masonic 
mark,  "  And  ye  shall  not  swear  by  my  name  falsely — I  am 
the  Lord  "  To  the  fly  leaf  has  been  pinned  a  long  lock  of 
Mary's  golden  hair. 

Returning  towards  Ayr;  we  spent  an  hour  in  the  burial 
ground  of  Kirk  Allovvay.  The  old  tombstones  are  numer- 
ous, and  the  inscriptions  quaint.  I  reproduce  one,  that  of 
Miller  Goudie,  who  formerly  lived  in  the  Burns  cottage. 

"  For  forty  years  it  was  his  lot 

To  show  the  poet's  humble  cot; 

And,  sometimes  laughin',  sometimes  sobbin', 

Told  his  last  interview  with  Robin: 

A  quiet,  civil,  blythesome  body, 

Without  a  foe,  was  Miller  Goudie.1' 

The  enduring  fame  given  to  the  place  by  Burns,  and  the 
large  number  of  persons  who  visit  it  daily,  has  led  many  of 


30  THE    TOWN    OF    AYR. 

the  wealthy  families  in  the  vicinity  to  use  it  as  a  burial 
place,  the  old  and  the  new  presenting  a  rather  unpleasant 
contrast.  The  grave  of  Burns'  father  is  marked  by  a  plain 
stone  of  modern  date,  the  inscription  being  that  written  by 
the  poet : 

'•  O  ye  whose  cheek  the  tear  of  pity  stains, 

Draw  near  with  pious  reverence,  and  attend! 
Here  lie  the  loving  husband's  dear  remains. 

The  tender-father  and  the  generous  friend ; 
The  pitying  heart  that  felt  for  human  woe; 

The  dauntless  heart  that  fear'd  no  human  pride; 
The  friend  of  man,  to  vice  alone  a  foe ; 

'  For  even  his  failings  leaned  to  virtue's  side.'  '* 

We  walked  back  to  Ayr.  It  is  a  seaport  on  the  lower 
Clyde,  and  has  18,000  inhabitants.  The  weekly  auction 
sale  of  stock  was  in  progress,  and  while  we  looked  on,  a 
large  number  of  sheep  were  sold,  mostly  ewes  of  medium 
size,  the  price  averaging  $7  to  $8  each.  Some  of  the  yards 
contained  the  celebrated  Ayrshire  breed  of  cattle,  but  I 
saw  none  sold.  Being  "  market  day,"  the  streets  were  full 
of  Scotch  farmers  and  laborers  and  their  families.  The 
streets  are  paved  and  wonderfully  clean,  and  quite  as  much 
used  by  those  on  foot,  as  the  sidewalks,  and  were  largely 
occupied  by  gossipers.  It  seemed  as  if  everybody  was  out 
doors  and  glad  to  see  everybody  else,  making  frequent  ad- 
journments to  the  whiskey  shops  a  matter  of  course,  as 
drinking  seems  almost  universal  in  Scotland. 

The  bridges  remain  as  when  Burns  wrote  his  poem  of  the 
"  Twa  Brigs."  The  old  one  looks  ancient,  is  narrow,  and 
used  for  pedestrians  only.  Its  dilapidation  reminds  one  of 
the  contemptuous  question,  put  by  the  '*  New  Brig:" 

"  Will  your  poor  narrow  footpath  of  a  street— 
Where  twa  wheelbarrows  tremble  when  they  meet — 
Your  ruin'd,  formless  bulk  o'  stane  and  lime, 
Compare  wi'  bonny  brigs  o'  modern  time?  " 

The  new  bridge  looks  substantial,  and  not  at  all  likely  to 
justify  the  stinging  retort  of  the  "  Auld  Brig." 


GENIUS    OF    BURNS.  31 

"  Conceited  gowk!  puff'd  up  wi'  windy  pride! 
This  mony  a  year  I've  stood  the  flood  and  tide; 
And  though  wi'  crazy  eild  I'm  sair  forfairn 
I'll  be  a  brig  when  ye're  a  shapeless  cairn!" 

Recalling  some  of  his  poems  among  the  scenes  where 
they  were  written,  one  cannot  help  admiring  Burns'  wonder- 
ful genius  as  shown  in  his  truthfulness  to  nature.  His 
muse  did  not  sing  of  Alpine  hills  or  coral  strands,  of  plumed 
knights  or  ladies  fair,  of  gorgeous  palaces  or  kingly  pageants. 
The  gently  flowing  Doon,  the  ruined  mouse's  nest,  the 
wounded  hare,  the  daisy  uprooted  by  his  plowshare,  and 
the  familiar  scenes  of  every-day  peasant  life,  were  his 
themes,  and  have  made  his  name  immortal.  The  versifier 
who  imagines  he  could  do  wonders,  if  only  a  subject  worthy 
of  his  pen  presented  itself,  may  study  with  profit  the  writ- 
ings of  Burns.  The  "  unco  guid  "  have  found  it  difficult  to 
see  any  merit  in  him,  and  it  must  be  admitted  that  his 
failings  did  not  lean  to  virtue's  side.  Although  a  lover  of 
the  social  glass,  he  was  never  a  drunkard,  indeed  no  more 
intemperate  than  the  minister  or  elder  of  the  period.  The 
immorality  of  his  poems,  judged  by  our  modern  standards, 
is  undeniable;  and  yet  was  not  a  matter  of  remark  among 
the  religionists «of  his  time.  It  was  his  heresy  and  irrever- 
ance  they  complained  of.  The  Calvinists  of  his  day  could 
ill  brook  his  "  Holy  Willie's  Prayer." 

"O  Thou,  wha  in  the  heavens  dost  dwell 
Wha,  as  it  pleases  best  thysel, 
Sends  ane  to  heaven,  and  ten  to  hell, 

A'  for  thy  glory, 
And  no  for  ony  guid  or  ill 

They've  done  afore  thee! 


When  frae  my  mither's  womb  I  fell, 
Thou  mi  ht  hae  plunged  me  in  hell, 
To  gnash  my  gums,  to  weep  and  wail, 

In  burnin'  lake 
"VVhare  damned  devils  roar  and  yell 

Chain'd  to  a  stake." 


32  BURNS    NOT    APPRECIATED. 

Nor  did  the  church  at  Mauchline  care  to  have  "Willie's" 
morals  so  pointedly  assailed  in  the  same  poem,  as  he  was  a 
prominent  elder,  although  he  died  in  the  ditch,  in  a 
drunken  debauch,  sonie  years  later.  The  religion  of  the 
time  consisted  largely  of  a  rigid  and  austere  theology,  and 
hair-splitting,  and  heresy  hunting  were  favorite  pursuits. 
Burns  wielded  a  free  lance,  and  while  deprecating  his  own 
weakness  and  inconsistency,  struck  heavy  blows  at  the  for- 
malism and  lack  of  good  morals  in  the  church. 

"God  knows,  I'm  no  the  thing  I  should  be, 
Nor  am  I  even  the  thing  I  could  be, 
But  twenty  times  I  rather  would  be 

An  atheist  clean. 
Than  under  gospel  colors  hid  be 

Just  for  a  screen. 
******* 

"  All  hail,  Religion !  maid  divine ! 
Pardon  a  muse  sae  mean  as  mine, 
Wha  in  her  rough  imperfect  line, 

Thus  daurs  to  name  thee; 
To  stigmatise  false  friends  of  thine 

Can  ne'er  defame  thee. 

Had  Burns  been  better  appreciated  by  his  generation,  it 
is  possible  his  course  of  life  might  have  been  different,  and 
English  literature  enriched  -with  many  other  products  of  his 
wonderful  genius.  Petted  and  feted  by  the  Scottish  aristo- 
cracy as  a  new  wonder,  only  to  be  abandoned  for  the  next 
novelty,  a  hopeless  struggle  with  poverty  crushed  his  proud 
spirit,  till,  at  the  early  age  of  37,  death  released  him  from 
the  contest.  It  is  but  just  to  the  English  government  to  say 
that  they  had  bestowed  on  him  an  office  in  the  excise — with 
the  munificent  salary  of  $350  a  year.  A  noble  mausoleum 
rises  above  his  grave,  and  expensive  monuments  have  been 
erected  to  his  memory,  the  cost  of  one  of  which  would  have 
relieved  the  living  Burns  from  many  sorrows. 

Our  own  Whittier,  purest  of  men  and  poets,  has  I  think 
happily  and  justly  estimated  the  character  and  writings  of 


WHITTIER  S    ESTIMATE    OF    BURNS.  33 

Burns,  and  I  close  this  record  of  a  day  spent  at  his  birth- 
place and  among  the  scenes  he  loved,  by  giving  it  to  the 
reader. 

%v  Let  those  who  never  erred  forget 
His  worth,  in  vain  bewailings; 
Sweet  soul  of  son?!— I  own  my  debt 
Uncancelled  by  his  failings! 


"  But  who  his  human  heart  has  laid 

To  nature's  bosom  nearer? 
Who  sweetened  toil  like  him,  or  paid 

To  love  a  tribute  dearer'- 

"  Through  all  his  tuneful  art  how  strong 

The  human  feeling  gushes! 
The  very  moonlight  of  his  song 

Is  warm  with  smiles  and  blushes. 

"  Give  lettered  pomp  to  teeth  of  time 

So  "  Bonnie  Doon  '  but  tarry; 
Blot  out  the  epic's  stately  rhyme, 

But  spare  his  '  Highland  Mary!'  " 


34 


CHAPTER  III. 

EDINBURGH. 

Edinburgh— Scott's  Monument— The  Castle— Regalia  of  Scotland— Mons  Meg 
—Barracks— St.  Giles— Jenny  Geddes— Parliament  House— Engine— John 
Knox's  House— The  Cannongate— Streets  and  Closes— Holyrood  Abbey— 
Holyrood  Palace— Gallery  of  Portraits— Audience  Chamber— Queen's  Bed- 
room— Supper  Room— The  Grassmarket— Greyfriars'  Churchyard — The 
New  Town— Antiquarian  Gallery— Gallon  Hill— The  View— Leith— New  - 
haven  Fishwives— Scotch  Women — Business  Habits. 

Edinburgh  has  a  population  of  over  200,000  and  is  one 
of  the  most  interesting  and  picturesque  cities  in  Europe.  It 
is  built  on  two  ridges  of  hills,  the  castle  and  old  town  be- 
ing on  the  highest.  It  has  been  called  the  Modern  Athens, 
but  whether  for  scholastic  or  topographical  reasons  I  do  not 
know  ;  it  is  certain,  however,  that  the  immense  rock  on 
which  the  castle  stands,  was  admirably  fitted  by  nature  for 
an  Acropolis.  Formerly  a  lake  or  marsh  existed  between 
the  old  and  new  towns,  but  it  has  been  drained  and  laid  out 
in  beautiful  gardens  along  the  margin  of  which  lies  Princes 
street,  the  finest  modern  street  in  the  city.  My  hotel  is 
on  Princes  street,  and  opposite  the  beautiful  monument  to 
Sir  Walter  Scott,  made  familiar  by  prints  and  engravings  to 
most  Americans.  This  fine  monument  is  erected  on  a  gran- 
ite platform  about  thirty  feet  each  way,  and  is  in  the  form 
of  an  open  spire,  about  two  hundred  feet  high.  The  style 
is  florid  gothic,  every  device  which  that  order  will  permit  of 
having  been  used  in  its  ornamentation.  But  one  side  of 
Princes  street  is  built  on,  and  looking  from  my  window 
across  the  gardens,  the  castle,  St.  Giles'  Cathedral  and  the 
lofty  and  antique  buildings  of  the  old  town  rise  in  pictur- 
esque and  imposing  irregularity. 


EDINBURGH    CASTLE.  35 

It  is  said  that  a  Roman  fortification  once  occupied  the 
site  of  the  present  castle.  A  part  of  the  wall  still  remain- 
ing is  ascribed  to  Edwin,  a  Northumbrian  Prince,  who 
erected  here  a  fortress  known  as  Edwin's  "  Brugh,"  or  strong- 
hold. The  present  castle  was,  however,  mainly  built  in  the 
1 5th  century.  Previous  to  that  time  a  chapel,  which  still 
remains,  was  built  by  the  pious  Queen  Margaret,  who  died 
in  the  castle  A.  D.  1093.  This  chapel  is  small,  I  should 
say  not  more  than  ten  by  sixteen  feet,  but  is  interesting  and 
finely  preserved.  In  olden  time,  from  its  isolated  position 
on  a  high  precipitous  rock,  the  castle  must  have  been  re- 
garded as  a  place  of  great  strength. 

"  The  ponderous  wall  and  massy  bar, 
Grim. rising  o'er  the  rugged  rock, 
Have  oft  withstood  assailing  war, 
And  oft  repelled  the  invader's  shock." 

It  has  furnished  many  stirring  pages  f.or  the  historian  and 
scenes  of  romantic  interest  for  the  novelist.  When  in  pos- 
session of  Edward  II.  it  was  surprised  and  captured  by 
thirty  young  Scotchmen,  who  at  night  climbed  the  almost 
perpendicular  rock,  guided  by  one  of  their  number  who  had 
learned  to  make  the  ascent  to  visit  his  sweetheart.  In  1341 
it  was  again  captured  from  the  English,  this  time  in  broad 
daylight  and  by  stratagem.  The  Scotch  general  caused  a 
cart  loaded  with  wine  to  be  sent  to  the  garrison,  which  the 
driver  managed  to  overturn  in  the  gateway  so  the  gate  could 
not  be  closed.  The  Scotch  soldiers,  who  were  concealed 
near  the  castle,  rushed  in  and  effected  its  capture.  The 
old  sally  port  is  shown  which  Dundee  climbed  to  have  a 
conference  with  the  Duke  of  Gordon,  to  persuade  him  to 
espouse  the  cause  of  James  I.,  at  a  time  when  a  convention 
was  in  session  at  the  Parliament  house  near  by,  to  settle  the 
crown  on  William  and  Mary.  It  was  in  reference  to  this 
exploit  of  Dundee's  that  the  popular  song  of  "  Bonnie  Dun- 
dee "  was  written. 


36  THE    CROWN    ROOM. 

"  Dundee  he  is  mounted,  he  rides  up  the  street, 
The  bells  they  ring  backward,  the  drums  they  are  beat; 
But  the  Provost,  douce  man!  said, '  Just  e'en  let  him  be. 
For  the  town  is  weelrid  o'  that  deil  o'  Dundee.'  " 

Over  the  portcullis  gate  is  the  old  state  prison  where  have 
pined  many  of  Scotland's  bravest  nobles  and  chiefs.  The 
grated  window  of  the  small  room  occupied  by  the  Marquis 
of  Argyle  the  night  previous  to  his  execution,  is  pointed 
out. 

For  a  long  series  of  years  the  castle  was  used  as  a  palace 
as  well  as  stronghold.  It  was  here  that  Mary,  Queen  of 
Scots,  resided  when  her  son,  afterwards  James  I.  of  Eng- 
land, was  born.  The  room  where  the  event  occurred  is 
shown  to  visitors,  also  the  window  through  which  the  infant 
prince,  when  eight  days  old,  was  let  down  two  hundred  and 
fifty  feet  to  the  pavement  below,  to  be  secretly  conveyed  to 
Stirling  Castle.  The  old  oak  ceiling  remains,  also  an  inter- 
esting inscription  on  the  wall,  placed  there  by  James  I.  on 
his  first  visit  to  Scotland  after  his  accession  to  the  British 
throne.  Like  everything  pertaining  to  the  unfortunate 
Mary,  it  possesses  interest,  and  is  said  to  have  been  com- 
posed by  her  on  the  birth  of  her  son. 

"  Lord  Jesu  Chryst  that  crownit  was  with  Thornse 
Preserve  the  birth  quhais  Badyie  heir  is  borne, 
And  send  hir  Sonne  successive  to  reigne  stille 
Lang  in  this  Realme,  if  that  it  be  Thy  will 
Als  grant  O  Lord  quhatever  cf  Hir  proseed 
Be  to  Thy  Glorie.  Hone    and  Prais  sobied." 

The  room  is  now  used  for  the  sale  of  trinkets,  as  memen- 
toes of  the  queen  and  castle,  and  as  the  almost  sacred  as- 
sociations of  the  place  are  supposed  to  attach  to  them,  about 
four  times  the  usual  price  is  asked. 

In  the  upper  part  of  the  same  wing  of  the  building  is  the 
crown  room  where  the  ancient  regalia  of  Scotland  are 
kept.  They  were  discovered  in  an  old  oak  chest,  exhibited 
in  the  room,  in  1818,  having  been  concealed  for  over  one 
hundred  years.  The  crown  is  that  of  Robert  Bruce,  made 


BARRACKS    AND    SOLDIERS.  37 

in  the  i4th  century,  and  used  by  the  kings  and  queens  of 
Scotland  since  that  time.  The  sword  of  state  was  present- 
ed to  James  IV.  by  Pope  Julius  II.  The  sceptre  is  sup- 
posed to  belong  to  the  reign  of  James  V.  The  gold  collar 
and  badge  of  the  Order  of  the  Garter  were  presented  by 
Queen  Elizabeth  to  James  VI.  of  Scotland.  The  corona- 
tion ring  of  Charles  I.  is  also  among  the  crown  jewels. 

Near  St.  Margaret's  Chapel  stands  the  famous  gun  known 
as  "Mons  Meg,"  supposed  to  have  been  used  at  the  siege  of 
Mons  in  France,  in  1476.  It  was  injured  in  1682  in  firing  a 
salute  to  the  Duke  of  York  ;  was  removed  in  1684  to  the 
Tower  of  London,  and  restored  to  the  castle  in  1820  by 
George  IV.  The  bore  is  twenty  inches  in  diameter. 

The  modern  barracks  and  officers'  quarters  were  built  in 
1796,  during  the  heat  of  the  French  war,  and  detract  very 
much  from  the  appearance  of  the  castle  as  viewed  from 
the  outside.  Sir  Walter  Scott  compared  them  to  a  cotton 
mill.  By  the  articles  of  the  Union  between  England  and 
Scotland,  the  castle  must  be  kept  fortified.  It  now  con- 
tains about  600  soldiers,  of  a  Scotch  regiment,  here  known 
as  "  Kilties,"  from  their  wearing  the  Highland  kilt  and  go- 
ing bare-kneed.  I  saw  about  500  of  them  on  parade  to- 
day, each  man  exhibiting  ten  to  twelve  inches — extending 
above  and  below  the  knee — bare  !  The  weather  is  such 
that  I  have  on  my  warmest  underclothing  and  wear  an 
overcoat.  Our  fashions  may  be  much  more  ridiculous  but 
hardly  so  uncomfortable. 

From  the  castle  the  principal  thoroughfare  of  the  old 
town  leads  directly  to  Holyrood  Palace  and  Abbey,  distant 
about  a  mile.  Leaving  the  esplanade  we  enter  this  thorough- 
fare at  the  Lawn-market,  and  passing  into  High  Street 
reach  St.  Giles'  Cathedral,  founded  in  854  A.  D.,  but  seve- 
ral times  rebuilt.  St.  Giles  was.  born  in  Greece,  but  his 
arm  bone — considered  a  precious  treasure — having  been 


38  JENNY   GEDDES. 

presented  to  the  city,  he  was  accepted  as  Edinburgh's  pat- 
ron saint.  The  arm  has  long  since  disappeared,  and  at  the 
beginning  of  the  Reformation  his  cherished  image  was  taken 
from  the  church,  ignominiously  ducked  in  a  pond  by  a  mob, 
and  afterwards  burned.  St.  Giles'  is  cruciform,  and  a  very 
large  building.  After  the  Reformation  it  was  made  to  ac- 
commodate four  congregations,  and  was  used  for  the  meet- 
ings of  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Church  of  Scotland. 
It  was  here,  in  1643,  that  the  Solemn  League  and  Covenant 
was  sworn  to  and  signed  by  Parliament  and  General  Assem- 
bly. It  became  the  parish  church  of  Edinburgh,  and  in  it 
John  Knox,  its  pastor,  preached  those  stirring  sermons  that 
have  become  a  part  of  the  history  of  Scotland. 

An  incident  that  occurred  in  St.  Giles'  has  often  been 
told,  and  had  at  the  time  a  wonderful  influence  in  arousing 
popular  sentiment  against  Prelacy,  and  effecting  its  over- 
throw. In  1637  an  attempt  was  made  to  introduce  the 
liturgy  of  Laud  into  Scotland,  by  authority,  and  the  Bishop 
of  Edinburgh  had  just  asked  the  Dean  to  read  the  "  Collect 
for  the  day,"  when  a  choleric  Scotch  woman  named  Jenny 
Geddes,  exclaimed,  "  Colic,  said  ye  ?  the  De'il  colic  the 
wame  (belly)  o'  ye  ;  wud  ye  say  mass  at  my  lug  ?"  Raising 
her  stool,  she  sent  it  flying  at  the  Dean's  head,  who  is  said 
to  have  barely  escaped  it.  The  stool  I  have  seen  at  the 
Museum.  It  is  a  medium-sized  camp  stool  ;  and  is  duly 
venerated  as  one  of  the  practical  arguments  used  in  the 
overthrow  of  Prelacy  and  liturgies  in  Scotland.  In  front  of 
the  cathedral  stands  the  shaft  of  the  old  Edinburgh  Cross, 
recently  restored,  on  what  is  supposed  to  be  its  original 
site  ;  and  on  the  north-west  corner  the  site  of  the  old  Tol- 
booth,  or  "  Heart  of  Mid-Lothian,"  is  marked  by  the  figure 
of  a  heart  on  the  pavement. 

In  the  rear  of  St.  Giles'  is  the  former  Parliament  House, 
used  since  the  Union  with  England  by  the  Law  Courts. 


A    FIRE    ENGINE.  39 

The  old  Parliament  Hall  is  about  fifty  by  one  hundred  and 
twenty  feet,  and  contains  many  fine  pictures  and  statues 
The  original  oak  ceiling,  with  its  magnificently  carved  beams 
and  panels,  resting  on  curiously  sculptured  corbels,  still 
remains.  In  Parliament  Square  is  a  fine  statue  of  Charles 
II.,  erected  by  the  city  in  1685.  This  site  had  been  selected 
and  a  model  prepared  for  a  statue  of  Cromwell,  but  the 
Reformation  changed  the  plans  of  the  worthy  Council. 
With  that  lofty  fidelity  to  principle  that  marked  the  Vicar 
of  Bray,  wThose  religious  creed — during  the  troublous  times 
when  England  was  alternately  Catholic  and  Protestant — 
was,  to  "  live  and  die  Vicar  of  Bray, "they  hastened  to  put 
away  the  model  of  the  grim  Puritan,  and  erected  this 
statue  of  the  "  Merry  Monarch." 

As  I  stepped  out  of  the  Parliament  House,  a  machine 
whose  use  I  did  not  at  first  comprehend,  accompanied  by  a 
half-dozen  men  in  uniform,  halted  in  the  square.  The  pres- 
ence of  a  suction  hose,  and  continued  efforts  to  uncover  a 
hole  in  the  street,  indicated  that  it  must  be  a  fire-engine. 
In  style  and  finish  it  would  hardly  compare  with  the  ordi- 
nary American  mowing  machine.  There  was  a  total  ab- 
sence of  shining  brass  and  nickel,  and  a  chimney  of  about 
stove-pipe  form  and  dimensions  furnished  an  exit  for  the 
smoke.  I  learned  that  it  was  a  new  machine,  to  be  tried  in 
the  presence  of  some  officials  who  were  to  decide  on  its  mer- 
its. The  length  of  time  consumed  in  preparations  made 
one  thankful  that  it  was  only  an  exhibition,  and  not  a  fire. 
Once  at  work  the  little  machine  surprised  me  by  its  effi- 
ciency. If  equal  in  size  to  the  gorgeous  affairs  that  help  to 
swell  American  tax-rolls,  they  would  have  nothing  to  boast 
of  except  their  shine — and  cost.  The  fire-engine,  however, 
is  not  so  prominent  an  affair  here  as  in  the  United  States. 
How  little  ground  can  be  found  in  our  oldest  cities  that  has 
not  been  burned  over  at  least  once  during  the  last  hundred 


40  JOHN    KNOX  S    HOUSE. 

years  ;  and  yet  in  Edinburgh  I  pass  through  street  after 
street,  two  to  three  hundred  years  old,  with  not  a  single  mod- 
ern building  to  indicate  the  occurrence  of  a  fire  during 
that  time. 

Near  St.  Giles',  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street,  is  the 
house  of  John  Knox.  It  was  built  in  the  year  1490,  for  a 
Scotch  nobleman,  whose  coat  of  arms  is  carved  in  the  wood 
work  of  some  of  the  rooms,  and  is  remarkably  well  pre- 
served. Over  the  door  is  the  inscription,  "  Lufe  God  abuf 
all,  and  ye  nychtbour  as  yiself."  On  the  south  front  is  the 
place  of  most  interest  to  visitors,  his  small  study — I  should 
say  about  8x12  feet.  Here  were  the  purposes  formed  and 
the  plans  laid  which  more  than  all  else  revolutionized  Scot- 
land. The  rooms  contain  many  pictures  of  Knox,  Arch- 
bishop Beton's  pastoral  staff,  ancient  thumb-screws,  the 
martyr's  iron  girdle  by  which  they  were  confined  to  the 
stake,  and  the  famous  gag  applied  to  scolding  women.  A 
careful  examination  convinced  me  that  this  last  would 
effectually  answer  the  purpose  for  which  it  was  constructed, 
while  in  use.  In  one  of  the  front  rooms  is  shown  the  preach- 
ing window  from  which,  when  no  longer  able  to  go  to  his 
church,  Knox  addressed  his  parishioners  who  stood  in  the 
street.  Notwithstanding  his  reported  severity  of  character, 
Knox  is  said  to  have  been  of  an  exceedingly  social  disposi- 
tion, and  like  ministers  of  that  period,  fond  of  what  were 
called  the  "  good  things  of  this  life."  A  few  days  before 
his  death,  he  ordered  his  attendant  to  broach  a  cask  of  wine 
which  he  had  received  as  a  present,  that  he  might  share  it 
with  some  friends,  saying  he  was  "  not  like  to  tarry  till  it  be 
finished."  He  died  in  the  principal  room  of  the  house  in 
1572,  and  was  buried  in  the  churchyard  of  St.  Giles'.  A 
stone  in  the  pavement  in  front  of  the  Parliament  House, 
with  the  initials  "  I.  K."  marks  the  spot,  and  is  the  only 
public  memorial  of  Knox  I  have  found  in  the  city  ! 


STREETS    AND    CLOSES.  41 

Continuing  down  High  Street  we  reach  Canriongate,  a 
street  formerly  occupied  by  the  wealthy  and  aristocratic 
canons  of  Holyrood.  The  houses  present,  if  possible,  a 
more  antique  appearance  than  those  of  High  Street,  and 
their  peculiar  architecture  indicates  that  at  one  period  this 
was  the  court  end  of  the  city.  Every  house  has  a  history, 
and  over  the  doors  the  old  armorial  bearings  are  yet  visible  ; 
indeed,  Cannongate  has  been  called  "  Scottish  history  fossil- 
ized." The  Cannongate  Tolbooth  is  claimed  as  a  specimen 
of  Scottish  architecture,  and  must  have  once  been  consid- 
ered an  imposing  building.  In  front  of  it,  at  the  east  end, 
is  an  old  stone  pillar  to  which  slanderers  and  scolds  were 
fastened  by  iron  collars. 

The  streets  between  the  castle  and  Holyrood  are  very 
narrow,  and  the  buildings  generally  quite  high.  Though 
now  dilapidated  and  mean,  they  were  formerly  the  residen- 
ces of  the  proudest  of  Scotland's  nobles  and  chivalry,  and 
many  a  kingly  and  knightly  pageant  has  passed  through 
these  narrow  streets.  They  are  now  mostly  used  for  small 
.stores,  cheap  boarding  houses  and  tenements,  whose  swarm- 
ing occupants  protrude  through  the  windows  to  gaze  list- 
lessly at  the  passers-by.  On  each  side  of  the  principal  thor- 
oughfare are  entry-ways,  leading  into  what  are  known  as 
closes,  in  the  rear  of  the  buildings  that  front  on  the 
street.  These  old  closes  are  historic  ground,  and  associ- 
ated with  them  are  many  important  incidents  in  Scottish 
history.  The  White  Horse  Close  is  mentioned  in  "Waver- 
ley"  as  the  head-quarters  of  the  Pretender's  officers. 
Strichen's  Close  is  noted  as  the  residence  of  the  "  Bluidy 
Mackenzie,"  King's  advocate  under  Charles  II.  Lady 
Stair's  Close,  in  which  occurred  some  strange  incidents  told 
by  Scott  in  "My  Aunt  Margaret's  Mirror."  Dunbar's 
Close,  head-quarters  of  Cromwell  after  the  battle  of  Dun- 
bar.  But  a  history  of  these  old  places  would  involve  a  his- 


42  HOLYROOD     ABBEY. 

tory  of  the  city,  if  not  of  Scotland.  Prominent  literary 
men  have  had  their  quarters  in  these  closes.  In  St.  James' 
Court,  Boswell  entertained  Dr.  Johnson,  before  making  the 
tour  of  the  Hebrides  ;  in  Riddle's  Close,  Hume  wrote  most 
of  his  "History  of  England  ;"  in  Baxter's  Close,  Burns  had 
his  lodgings,  and  in  Panmure  Close  Adam  Smith  resided. 

These  closes  are  now  mostly  mere  rookeries,  and  contain 
the  very  dregs  of  the  lower  classes  of  society.  Dirty  and 
barefooted  women,  and  half-clothed  children,  passed  me  in 
the  entry-ways  or  scowled  at  me  from  doors,  and  windows. 
Squalor  and  wretchedness  reign  supreme  in  dwellings  once 
the  abodes  of  valor,  of  learning,  and  of  genius.  A  subse- 
quent visit  in  the  evening,  in  company  of  a  traveling  friend, 
disclosed  an  amount  of  drunkenness  and  disorderly  carous- 
ing that  I  was  not  prepared  to  find  in  a  Presbyterian  "  Mod- 
ern Athens." 

Holyrood  Abbey  was  founded  by  David  I.,  in  1128,  to 
commemorate  his  deliverance  from  a  stag  brought  to  bay  in 
the  hunting  grounds,  near  the  castle.  Tradition  says  the 
king  was  saved  by  a  mysterious  cross,  interposed  between 
the  royal  person  and  the  infuriated  animal.  All  that  now 
remains  of  the  ancient  abbey  is  the  roofless  walls  of  the 
chapel,  containing  the  tombs  of  some  of  Scotland's  kings 
and  nobles.  The  floor  is  a  mosaic  of  grass  and  tombstones. 
In  this  chapel,  Charles  I.  was  crowned  King  of  Scotland, 
James  II.  married  to  Mary  of  Gueldres,  James  III.  to  Mar- 
garet of  Denmark,  and  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots,  to  Darnley. 
The  stone  on  which  she  knelt  before  the  ancient  altar  is 
pointed  out,  and  the  susceptible  visitor  who  has  become 
interested  in  the  sad  history  of 

"  The  beauteous  Queen 
Upon  whose  heart,  like  canker  in  the  leaf 
The  worm  of  many  sorrows  revelled." 

may  possibly  find  himself  on  bended  knee  on  the  well  worn 


HOLYROOD    PALACE.  43 

stone.  The  last  time  this  chapel  was  used  for  worship,  was 
by  order  of  Janes  VII.,  when  mass  was  said  here,  in  the 
king's  presence.  In  the  Reformation  which  followed,  this 
fact  induced  the  mob  to  desecrate  the  tombs  of  the  kings, 
and  almost  destroy  the  building. 

Holyrood  Palace  is  a  large  quadrangular  stone  building, 
and  surrounds  an  open  court  about  a  hundred  feet  square. 
At  each  of  the  outside  corners  is  a  castellated  tower,  of 
what  is  known  as  the  "  pepper  box "  pattern.  It  was 
founded  by  James  IV.  in  1500  and  used  by  him  as  a  resi- 
dence till  his  death  at  Flodden  in  1513.  The  oldest  part  of 
the  palace  is  the  north-west  tower,  containing  Queen 
•Mary's  apartments.  The  south  wing  is  more  modern  and 
is  fitted  up  for  the  use  of  the  royal  family  of  England,  the 
Queen  stopping  here  on  her  way  to  and  from  Balmoral,  her 
summer  residence  in  the  Highlands.  She.  is  expected  here 
in  about  two  weeks,  on  which  occasion  there  is  to  be  a 
grand  review  of  volunteer  militia,  and  the  popular  mind  is 
wonderfully  stirred  in  regard  to  the  anticipated  event.  The 
newspapers  are  full  of  it  and  one  hears  little  else  talked  of ; 
indeed  the  small  boys  of  a  country  village  could  hardly  ex- 
hibit more  interest  and  excitement  over  the  expected  advent 
of  a  circus,  than  do  those  usually  level-headed  Scotch  peo- 
ple over  the  review  by  the  Queen. 

The  old  State  apartments  are  exhibited  to  the  public,  and 
on  entering  the  visitor  is  shown  into  an  ancient  hall  about 
thirty  by  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  used  as  a  picture  gal- 
lery. It  contains  portraits  of  all  the'  Scottish  kings,  over 
one  hundred  in  number,  from  Fergus,  B.  C.  300  (!)  to  James 
VII.  They  are  of  course  nearly  all  fancy  sketches,  if  the 
term  fancy  may  be  applied  to  such  daubs,  and  are  said  to 
be  the  work  of  a  single  Dutch  artist,  who  took  the  job  by 
contract.  He  seems  to  have  had  a  definite  idea  of  about 
how  a  Scotch  king  should  look,  and  has  carried  it  out  in 
2 


44  THE    AUDIENCE    CHAMBER. 

every  instance.  The  result  is  a  sameness  which  has  led  an 
observing  Scotchman  to  express  his  surprise  that  all  the 
kings  of  Scotland  should  have  "  a  nose  resembling  the 
knocker  of  a  door." 

The  Queen's  Audience  Chamber  has  a  finely  carved  oak 
ceiling,  and  the  walls  are  covered  writh  faded  tapestry.  It 
contains  a  state  bed  with  embossed  velvet  curtains  and  em- 
broidered pillow,  used  by  Charles  I.  when  he  visited  Edin- 
burg  to  be  crowned  King  of  Scotland.  It  was  also  used  by 
the  Pretender  previous  to  the  battle  of  Culloden,  and  after- 
wards by  his  conqueror,  "proud  Cumberland."  The  furni- 
ture is  of  the  time  of  Charles  I.,  finely  carved,  and  has  the 
peculiar  gloss  given  by  age.  Near  the  entrance  to  this 
room  is  the  spot  where  Rizzio  is  said  to  have  been  dragged 
after  his  murder  by  the  conspirators.  Standing  by  the  place 
just  thirty-five  years  ago,  the  blood  stains  seemed  distinct, 
and  wonderfully  impressed  my  youthful  imagination.  That 
blood,  shed  by  violence  nearly  300  years  before,  should 
still  mark  the  old  oak  floor,  would  naturally  appear  to  a 
boy,  who  had  indulged  his  love  of  the  marvelous  by  read- 
ing all  of  the  Scottish  border  tales  within  his  reach,  as  a 
veritable  miracle.  I  must  confess,  however,  that  a  diligent 
search  to-day  failed  to  discover  any  stains  or  signs  of  blood, 
from  which  it  is  fair  to  conclude  that  my  eyesight  (or  im- 
agination ?)  must  be  failing.  The  fireplace  contains  an  old 
grate  said  to  be  the  first  used  in  Scotland,  and  it  looks  very 
much  like  the  first  grate.  The  shovel,  poker  and  fender 
are  no  better,  and  would  be  considered  bad  jobs  by  any 
modern  blacksmith. 

From  the  audience  room  we  enter  Queen  Mary's  bed- 
room. It  is  about  twenty  feet  square,  has  the  usual 
carved  oak  ceiling,  and  the  walls  are  covered  with  fine 
old  tapestry  representing  scenes  in  heathen  mythology.  The 
hangings  of  the  queen's  bed  are  of  crimson  damask,  with 


MURDER    OF    RIZZIO. 


45 


green  fringe  and  tassels,  changed  by  the  silent  hand  of  time 
to  almost  rags.  Indeed  it  seems  as  if  a  breath  of  air  through 
an  open  window  would  reduce  to  shreds  the  hangings  of 
the  royal  bed.  The  linen  sheets,  as  seen  through  the 
threadbare  counterpane,  are  much  better  preserved.  Among 
the  antique  furniture  in  the  room  is  the  queen's  work- 
box,  containing  a  piece  of  embroidery  worked  by  her 
hand.  The  subject  of  this  fancy  needle-work  is  claimed 
to  be  "Jacob  wrestling  with  the  Angel."  I  failed  to  be- 
come interested  in  the  contest  through  my  inability  to 
make  out  which  was  Jacob,  and  for  a  wonder  the  guide 
could  afford  me  no  information.  He  was  evidently  taken 
by  surprise,  and  will  no  doubt  have  a  ready  answer  for  the 
next  enquirer.  One  of  the  most  suggestive  relics  in  the 
room  is  the  mirror  of  Queen  Mary,  whose  great  beauty 
would  seem  to  have  been  a  chief  cause  of  her  misfor- 
tunes. 

From  here  we  enter  the  small  apartment,  a  mere  closet, 
known  as  the  queen's  supper  room.  Here  Mary,  her 
sister  the  Duchess  of  Argyle,  and  Rizzio  were  sitting  when 
the  six  conspirators,  who  had  been  preceded  by  Darnley, 
entered  by  a  private  stairway,  brandishing  their  daggers 
before  the  queen,  one  of  them  holding  a  pistol  to  her 
breast.  The  wretched  Rizzio  was  stabbed  clinging  to  her 
-dress  and  pleading  piteously  for  mercy.  The  queen,  in 
three  months  to  become  a  mother,  was  forced  into  a  chair 
by  her  husband  and  held  by  him  till  the  conspirators  had 
.accomplished  their  purpose,  leaving  the  dead  Rizzio,  with 
•over  fifty  dagger  wounds,  in  the  Audience  Chamber.  One 
can  hardly  see  how  so  many  persons  could  find  even 
standing  room  in  the  little  apartment  where  this  trag- 
edy, so  often  told  in  history  and  in  fiction,  occurred. 
The  surroundings  have  not  been  changed  in  the  least  and 
imagination  recalled  the  scene  so  vividly  that  it  was  a  re- 


46  THE    ABBEY    SANCTUARY. 

lief  to  leave  the  dimly  lighted  room,  and  pass  out,  by 
the  door  to  which  Rizzio  had  clung  in  his  death  agony, 
into  the  clear  sunlight. 

The  vicinity  of  the  Abbey  of  Holyrood  is  said  to  be 
the  only  remaining  sanctuary  in  Scotland,  affording  pro- 
tection to  debtors  where  the  bankruptcy  is  not  charged 
as  fraudulent.  Protections  are  issued  at  the  Abbey  Court 
House.  Curious  stories  are  told  of  the  hair  breadth  escapes 
of  debtors  who  claimed  the  protection  of  the-  law.  On 
Sunday  they  could  go  where  they  pleased,  but  woe  be  to 
the  luckless  debtor  who  failed  to  return,  to  the  privileged 
ground  before  Monday  arrived.  It  is  said  on  one  occa- 
sion a  fugitive  closely  pursued  fell  just  as  he  was  cross- 
ing the  line.  His  body  was  on  the  safe  side  but  his  legs 
were  captured  ;  and  now  arose  a  tremendous  question 
which  troubled  the  big  wigs  awfully.  It  was  finally  de- 
cided, however,  that  as  the  bailiff  could  do  nothing  with 
the  man's  legs  unless  he  had  the  body  attached  thereto, 
the  debtor  must  be  allowed  to  take  his  legs  along  with 
him. 

In  the  old  town  are  very  many  other  places  of  inter- 
est, among  them  the  Grassmarket,  an  ancient  place  of  ex- 
ecution where  so  many  of  the  "Scots  Worthies  "  suffered 
for  their  religion.  In  the  Cowgate  is  an  interesting  old 
church  where  the  General  Assembly  met  in  1578,  when 
it  "was  concludid  that  Bischopes  sould  be  callit  be  their 
awin  names,  or  be  the  names  of  Breither  in  all  time  com- 
ing, and  that  lordlie  name  and  authentic  be  banissed  from 
the  Kirk  of  God,  quhilk  lies  bot  ae  Lord,  Chryst  Jesus." 

Not  far  from  the  Grassmarket  is  Greyfriars  churchyard, 
formerly  the  site  of  a  monastery,  but  since  1566  used  as  a 
cemetery.  An  old  flat  tombstone  is  shown  where  in  1638 
the  congregation  headed  by  the  Earl  of  Sutherland,  signed 
the  Solemn  League  and  Covenant,  some  of  them  writing 


THE    MARTYR  S    MONUMENT.  47 

their  names  with  their  own  blood.  Many  notable  men  are 
buried  here,  but  the  most  interesting  monument  is  known 
as  the  "  Martyr's  Monument,"  and  the  inscription  tells  a 
sad  story  of  persecution.  "From  May  27,  1661,  that  the 
most  noble  Marquis  of  Argyle  was  beheaded,  to  the  i7th  of 
February,  1688,  that  Mr.  James  Renwick  suffered,  were  one 
way  or  other  murdered  and  destroyed  for  the  same  cause, 
about  eighteen  thousand,  of  whom  were  executed  at  Edin- 
burgh about  one  hundred  of  noblemen,  gentlemen,  ministers 
and  others,  noble  martyrs  for  Jesus  Christ.  The  most  of 
them  lie  here.".  After  the  battle  of  Bothwell  Bridge  a  cor- 
ner of  this  old  graveyard  was  used  as  a  prison — a  sort  of 
Andersonville — where,  without  shelter  from  the  weather, 
and  only  four  ounces  of  bread  and  a  mouthful  of  water 
daily,  the  hundreds  of  Covenanters  taken  in  that  battle  were 
so  reduced  in  numbers  by  disease  and  starvation,  that  after 
five  months  a  small  vessel  was  sufficient  to  convey  the 
Avretched  survivors  to  Barbadoes.  The  methods  employed 
at  Andersonville  do  not  seem  to  deserve  even  the  poor 
credit  of  originality,  for  history  informs  us,  that  if  one  of 
these  imprisoned  Covenanters  rose  during  the  night,  or 
passed  a  certain  line  during  the  day,  he  was  shot  by  the 
guard. 

The  great  height  of  the  houses  in  the  old  town  is  as- 
cribed to  the  desire  of  the  inhabitants  to  find  shelter  within 
the  rude  walls  built  in  1450.  The  highest  house  I  have 
found  is  eleven  stories,  and  so  irregular  is  the  ground  in 
some  places  that  houses  six  to  nine  stories  in  front  are  but 
three  to  five  stories  in  the  rear.  From  some  of  the  bridges 
one  may  look  down  the  chimneys  of  the  tall  houses  in  the 
streets  below. 

The  new  town  of  Edinburgh  is  the  growth  of  about  a 
century,  and  will  compare  favorably  with  the  modern 
portion  of  any  city  in  Europe.  Princes  street,  its  principal 


48  THE  ANTIQUARIAN  GALLERY. 

thoroughfare,  is  about  a  mile  long  and  only  the  north  side  of 
the  street  is  built  on.  To  the  south,  as  before  described, 
lie  the  gardens  that  separate  it  from  the  rocky  ridges  on 
which  the  old  city  is  built.  But  I  cannot  afford  to  describe 
in  detail  the  new  town,  its  handsome  public  buildings, 
numerous  and  costly  monuments,  fine  churches,  beautiful 
squares,  gardens  and  residences — all  these  could  be  dupli- 
cated with  money.  It  is  the  old  city  that  is  the  Edinburgh 
of  history — 

"Edina!  Scotia's  darling  seat  " 

of  the  poet. 

The  Antiquarian  Gallery  is  in  the  new  town  and  well 
repays  a  visit.  It  contains  a  large  collection  of  curiosities 
from  all  countries,  but  is  especially  interesting  for  its  Scottish 
remains  and  relics.  Here  we  see  John  Knox's  pulpit  from 
St.  Giles'  church,  and  Jenny  Geddes'  stool,  already  referred 
to ;  the  original  Solemn  League  and  Covenant  signed  by 
Montrose  and  his  associates  ;  a  flag  of  .Scotland  that  waved 
in  the  breeze  at  the  battle  of  Dunbar  in  1650,  and  a  banner 
of  the  Covenanters  captured  at  Bothwell  Bridge ;  a  blue 
ribbon  worn  by  Prince  Charles  as  Knight  of  the  Garter,  and 
a  ring  given  him  by  Flora  McDonald  at  parting ;  some  nails 
from  the  coffin  and  a  portion  of  the  shroud  of  Robert  Bruce  ; 
the  pistols  of  Robert  Burns,  and  a  glass  from  which  Prince 
Charles  drank  before  the  disastrous  fight  at  Culloden. 
There  is  also  a  rude  guillotine  called  "The  Maiden,"  made 
of  two  upright  posts,  between  which  is  a  loaded  axe  to  be 
raised  by  a  cord  and  fall  on  the  devoted  neck  beneath.  By 
this  identical  instrument  Regent  Morton  was  beheaded  in 
1581,  Sir  John  Gordon  in  1644,  the  Earl  of,  Argyle  in  1685, 
and  at  other  times  many  others  of  lesser  note. 

Calton  Hill  is  at  the  east  end  of  Princes  street,  and  not 
far  from  Holyrood  Palace.  It  has  a  monument  to  Nelsonr 
resembling  very  much  a  lighthouse,  and  about  a  hundred 


CALTON    HILL.  49 

feet  high  ;  a  dome  supported  by  pillars,  in  memory  of  Du- 
gald  Stewart ;  and  the  unfinished  National  Monument,  in- 
tended to  reproduce  on  this  elevated  position  the  Parthenon 
at  Athens.  Its  erection  was  to  commemorate  the  Scotch 
heroes  who  fell  at  Waterloo,  but  after  about  a  dozen  immense 
Doric  columns  had  been  placed,  at  a  cost  of  seventy  thou- 
sand dollars,  popular  enthusiasm  abated,  the  funds  were 
lacking,  and  like  a  certain  monument  at  Washington,  it  re- 
mains unfinished.  The  Royal  Observatory,  a  fine  Grecian 
building,  is  on  Calton  Hill,  and  in  Calton  churchyard  is  the 
tomb  of  David  Hume.  Not  far  distant,  in  St.  David  street, 
Hume  resided  after  acquiring  fame  and  money  by  his 
writings.  The  name  of  this  street  is  supposed  to  have  been 
intended  by  the  truly  orthodox  of  Edinburgh  as  a  slur  on 
Hume,  on  account  of  his  well  known  infidelity.  It  was 
viewed  in  this  light  by  his  housekeeper,  who  appeared  one 
morning  in  great  wrath  to  inform  him  that  a  sign  marked 
""St.  David  street"  had  been  placed  on*  the  house.  "Tut, 
tut,  woman,"  said  Hume,  with  an  air  of  forced  resignation, 
"don't  mind  it ;  many  a  better  man  than  I  has  been  called 
a  saint." 

While  for  picturesque  and  romantic  effects 

"  Stately  Edinburgh,  built  on  crags;" 

can  hardly  be  surpassed,  Calton  Hill  seems  to  be  the  best 
point  from  which  to  take  in  the  beauty  of  its  scenery  and 
surroundings.  When  but  a  youth  I  spent  a  whole  summer 
day  on  Calton  Hill,  and  the  scene  has  lost  none  of  its  pecu- 
liar and  striking  interest  from  the  many  years  that  have  in- 
tervened. Both  the  old  and  new  towns  are  seen  to  advan- 
tage. The  square,  solid  looking  old  palace  of  Holyrood  is 
at  your  feet,  and  as  you  stand  in  the  line  of  Princes  street 
its  long  avenue  of  buildings,  monuments  and  gardens  is  in 
full  view.  On  the  opposite  rocky  and  irregular  ridge  stands 
the  old  town,  black  with  age,  and  terminating  at  its  furthest 


50  TOWN  OF  LEITH. 

and  highest  point  in  the  castle  rock,  with  its  frowning  forti- 
fications. Beyond  the  old  city,  and  forming  an  appropriate 
background,  lie  the  Pentland  hills.  On  the  south,  and  quite 
near,  rise  Salisbury  Crags  and  Arthurs  seat,  and  flanking 
them,  in  the  distance  are  seen  the  Hills  of  Lammermoor. 
West  and  north  the  whole  Firth  of  Forth  is  in  sight  till  it 
joins  the  German  ocean,  and  in  the  foreground,  between 
the  Edinburgh  and  Fife  shores,  is  the  Island  of  Inchkeith. 
In  the  far  west  may  be  seen  the  top  of  Ben-lomond,  and 
*'Ben-ledi's  distant  hill."  A  gentleman,  who  had  kindly 
called  my  attention  to  some  of  these  places,  pointed  out  in 
the  far  distance  the  identical  "Grampian  Hills"  where  "my 
father  fed  his  flocks."  How  often  have  I  pointed  to  these 
hills,  (always  over  the  right  shoulder,  and  looking  steadily  in 
front,)  when  I  was  a  small  boy,  and  my  name  "Norval." 

Leith,  the  port  of  Edinburgh,  is  nearly  two  miles  distant 
from  the  east  end  of  Princes  street,  but  fine  residences  line 
the  way  between  the  two  cities.  Formerly  a  bitter  rivalry 
existed  between  them,  so  intense  that  if  a  merchant  of  Edin- 
burgh should  take  into  partnership  an  inhabitant  of  Leith, 
he  was  heavily  fined  and  deprived  of  the  freedom  of  the 
city  for  a  year.  Commercial  interests  have  forced  the  cities 
into  close  union,  and,  though  separate  municipalities,  the 
growth  of  both  has  made  them  geographically  one.  On  my» 
walk  to  Leith  I  passed  quite  a  number  of  the  Newhaven 
fishwives  in  picturesque  costume,  carrying  on  their  backs, 
supported  by  a  strap  across  the  top  of  the  forehead,  heavy 
baskets  of  fish  for  the  Edinburgh  market.  They  are  won- 
derfully muscular,  quite  comely  in  appearance,  and,  in  their 
way,  neatly  dressed.  Their  habits  are  singular,  the  men  at- 
tending to  the  boats  and  fishing  while  the  women  do  the 
marketing  and  carry  the  purse,  allowing  their  husbands  such 
sums  as  they  deem  proper  for  pocket  money.  An  arrangement 
of  this  kind  would  suit  an  American  woman  admirably— 


SCOTCH    WOMEN.  51 

provided  she  could  hire  a  German  or  Irish  girl  to  carry  the 
basket. 

The  better  class  of  Scotch  women  seem  much  more  healthy 
and  robust  than  the  same  class  in  America.  Contrasting 
the  poorer  classes  of  the  two  countries,  the  difference  is  not 
so  marked,  probably  caused  by  the  hardships  and  lack  of 
the  good  things  of  this  life  which  the  Scotch  women  of  the 
lower  classes  are  compelled  to  endure.  Among  this  class 
both  in  Glasgow  and  Edinburgh  I  should  say  a  majority  go 
barefoot. 

In  Edinburgh  there  would  seem  to  be  no  anxiety  to  do 
business,  everybody  appears  to  be  taking  it  easy,  willing  to 
go  slow  and  sure,  rather  than  worry  or  take  risks  in  order 
to  get  suddenly  rich.  The  Scotch  are  shrewd  and  thrifty 
and  said  to  be  th'e  only  people  among  whom  the  Jews  can- 
not get  a  foot-hold.  The  "canny  Scot"  is  more  than  a 
match  for  the  son  of  Abraham  in  a  close  bargain,  and  can 
economise  wonderfully  in  his  methods  of  doing  business. 
In  the  rural  districts  even  the  dwellings  of  the  very  poor  have 
an  air  of  neatness  and  thrift,  as  if  the  occupants  had  seen 
better  days,  or  been  born  for  a  higher  station. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

MELROSE    ABBEY ABBOTSFORD. 

To  Melrose— The  Abbey— Scott's  Stone— The  Wizard's  Grave— Tombs— Chapel 
—Sculptures  -The  Monks— Village  of^Melrose— To  Abbotsford— House  and 
Grounds— The  Entrance— Hall— Rooms— Armory— Library— Study— Muse- 
um— Suggested  Memories. 

Melrose,  37  miles  from  Edinburgh,  is  reached  by  rail,  the 
road  passing  through  a  most  beautiful  and  interesting  part  of 
Scotland.  Our  route  lay  along  the  Esk  and  Gala  rivers,  the 
hills  of  Lammermoor  to  the  east  and  the  hills  of  Moorfort  to 
the  west.  The  way  seemed  to  be  lined  with  the  ruins  of  old 
castles  ;  the  more  important  being  Craigmillar,  Borthwick, 
Crichton,  Newbyres,  Ewe,  Gunzion  and  Torsonce.  We  pass 
at  Dalkeith  the  magnificent  palace  and  grounds  of  the  Duke 
of  Buccleuch,  and  near  Dalhousie  the  Marquis  of  Lothian's 
castle,  Newbattle  Abbey.  The  only  town  of  importance  is 
Galashiels,  noted  for  the  manufacture  of  tweeds  and  tartans. 

But  a  few  minutes  walk  from  the  station  is  the  Abbey  Ho- 
tel, a  comfortable  Scotch  inn,  of  about  the  third  class  as  to 
size  and  appearance,  and  where  no  extortions  are  practised 
on  guests  or  visitors.  The  proprietor  is  governed  by  a  fixed 
scale  of  prices,  and  they  are  certainly  moderate  ;  for  instance, 
a  stylish  two-horse  carriage,  with  driver,  to  Abbotsford  and 
return,  using  up  a  half  day,  cost  me  less  than  two  dollars. 
In  a  little  house  opposite  the  hotel  resides  the  keeper  of  the 
abbey,  and  for  a  small  fee  the  rusty  iron  gate  leading  to  the 
grounds  was  opened,  and  I  was  in  the  presence  of  "fair  Mel- 
rose." The  lady  keeper  had  thoughtfully  locked  me  in,  say- 
ing she  would  return  and  give  me  any  desired  information 


MELROSE  ABBEY.  53 

after  I  had  examined  the  building  by  myself.  I  walked 
around  the  ruined  and  roofless  walls,  and  seating  myself  by 
the  great  east  window,  awaited  the  coming  of  the  guide.  A 
convention  of  noisy  rooks  were  discussing  some  subject  of 
more  than  ordinary  importance  overhead,  and  it  would  be 
difficult  to  imagine  anything  more  weird  than  my  surround- 
ings. 

Melrose  Abbey  was  founded  by  David  I.  in  1136,  and 
consecrated  in  1146.  The  English  forces  under  Edward  II., 
retreating  from  Scotland  in  1322,  did  much  injury  to  the 
building,  to  repair  which  King  Robert  made  a  grant  of  two 
thousand  pounds  ;  equal  in  purchasing  power  to  a  quarter  of 
a  million  dollars  at  the  present  time.  The  restoration  of  the 
abbey,  probably  a  rude  building  at  first,  took  place  at  a  time 
when  Gothic  architecture  had  reached  its  full  development. 
It  was  destroyed  by  the  Earl  of  Hertford  in  1545.  Tradi- 
tion says  that  the  English  on  their  way  back  had  passed  Mel- 
rose,  when  the  bells  of  the  abbey  were  rung  to  express  the 
joy  of  the  inmates.  Hearing  the  sound,  the  English  returned, 
and  made  of  Melrose  Abbey  the  finest  ruin  in  Great  Britain. 
A  considerable  part  of  its  outer  walls  have  been  carried 
away  at  different  periods  to  erect  buildings  in  the  neighbor- 
hood ;  but  it  is  now  well  cared  for  by  its  present  owner,  the 
Duke  of  Buccleuch. 

"If  thou  wouldst  view  fair  Melrose  aright, 
Go  visit  it  by  the  pale  moonlight;" 

said  the  poet,  and  deprecatingly  adds  : 

"  For  the  gay  beams  of  lightsome  day 
Gild,  but  to  flout,  the  ruins  gray." 

The  necessities  of  travel,  however,  obliged  me  to  visit  Mel- 
rose on  a  bright  summer  day.  Indeed,  my  youthful  fancy 
had  been  so  wrought  upon  by  the  weird  and  terrible  things 
which  occurred  in  these  aisles,  as  told  in  Scott's  "  Lay  of  the 
last  Minstrel,"  that  a  moonlight  visit  to  the  haunted  spot 


54  SCOTT  S  STONE. 

would  have  tested  my  courage  severely.  I  had  in  Edin- 
burgh provided  myself  with  a  copy  of  the  poem,  and  found 
the  second  canto  good  reading  in  the  abbey. 

Scott's  home  was  but  three  miles  from  Melrose,  and  he  is 
said  to  have  been  accustomed  to  linger  among  the  ruins. 
Inside  and  near  the  east  end  is  "Scott's  stone,"  where  he  was 
accustomed  to  sit.  From  it  is  obtained  a  fine  view  of  the 
great  east  window,  sixteen  feet  wide  and  thirty- seven  feet 
high.  It  is  the  most  beautiful  thing  connected  with  the  ab- 
bey, and  what  can  be  finer  than  Scott's  description  : 

"  The  moon  on  the  east  oriel  shone,  . 

Through  slender  shafts  of  shapely  stone, 

By  foliaged  tracery  combined; 
Thou  wduldst  have  thought  some  fairy's  hand, 
'Twixt  poplars  straight  the  osier  wand, 

In  many  a  freakish  knot  had  twined; 
Then  framed  a  spell,  when  the  work  was  done, 
And  changed  the  willow-wreaths  to  stone." 

Not  far  from  "  Scott's  stone"  lies  an  old-fashioned  slab 
which  covers  the  remains  of  the  "mighty  wizard,  Michael 
Scott."  I  read  again  the  story  of  his  burial,  as  told  by  the 
monk  : 

"  I  buried  him  on  St.  Michael's  night, 
When  the  bell  tolled  one  and  the  moon  was  bright ; 
A.nd  I  dug  his  chamber  among  the  dead, 
When  the  floor  of  the  chancel  was  staiaed  with  red. 

"  It  was  a  night  of  woe  and  dread, 
When  Michael  in  the  tomb  I  laid  ! 
Strange  sounds  along  the  chancel  passed, 
The  banners  waved  without  a  blast — 

Also  the  re-opening  of  the  grave  by  the  monk  and  William  of 
Deloraine,  disentombing  the  "Mighty  Book  :" 

"  With  beating  heart  to  the  task  he  went; 
His  sinewy  frame  o'er  the  grave-stone  bent; 
With  bar  of  iron  heaved  amain, 
Till  the  toil  drops  fell  from  his  brows,  like  rain. 
It  was  by  dint  of  passing  strength. 
That  he  moved  the  massy  stone  at  length. 


THE   CHAPEL.  55 

"  Pefore  their  eyes  the  Wizard  lay, 
As  if  he  had  not  been  dead  a  day; 

"  His  left  hand  held  his  Book  of  Might. 
A  silver  cross  was  in  his  right; 

"  Then  Deloraine  in  terror  took 
From  the  cold  hand  the  Mighty  Book; 
With  iron  clasped  and  with  iron  bound; — 
He  thought,  as  he  took  it,  the  dead  man  frowned; 

"  And,  as  the  Knight  and  Priest  withdrew, 
With, wavering  steps  and  dizzy  brain, 
They  hardly  might  the  postern  gain. 
'Tis  said  as  through  the  aisles  they  passed, 
They  heard  strange  noises  on  the    last; 
And  through  the  cloister-galleries  small, 
Which  at  mid-height  thread  the  chancel  wall, 
Loud  sobs,  and  laughter  louder  ran, 
And  voices  unlike  the  voice  of  man; 
As  if  the  fiends  kept  holiday, 
Because  these  spells  were  brought  to  day." 

Many  historic  names  appear  among  the  tombs.  Douglas, 
the  dark  Knight  of  Liddesdale,  Alexander  II.,  James,  Earl 
of  Douglas,  killed  by  Hotspur  (Earl  of  Percy),  at  the  battle 
of  Otterburn,  in  1388.  Here  also  is  deposited  the  heart  of 
Robert  Bruce.  Bruce  requested  that  his  heart  might  be  car- 
ried to  Palestine  and  buried  near  the  holy  sepulchre.  Sir 
James  Douglas,  with  a  picked  body  of  soldiers  attempted  the 
task,  but  was  repulsed  by  the  Saracens.  The  heart  was  re- 
turned to  Scotland,  and  buried  in  Melrose  Abbey. 

The  chapel  is  in  the  form  of  a  Latin  cross.  The  west  end 
of  the  nave  is  gone.  A  square  tower  had  risen  in  the  center 
to  the  height  of  about  eighty  feet,  and  one  of  its  sides 
is  still  standing,  the  two  pillars  which  sustain  it  being  among 
the  finest  specimens  of  carved  work  in  the  building. 
Around  the  walls  are  the  remains  of  sixteen  small  chapels, 
with  their  broken  altars  and  mutilated  carvings  of  sacred 
scenes,  most  of  them  entirely  occupied  by  the  tombs  of 
noblemen,  ecclesiastics,  and  noted  persons  who  have  died  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Melrose.  The  choir  and  transepts  are 


56  ORNAMENTAL  CARVINGS. 

well  preserved  ;  also  the  roof  of  the  high  altar,  which  has  a 
figure  of  Christ  on  the  cross,  and  contains  some  finely 
carved  tracery.  A  window  in  the  north  transept  has  been 
sculptured  so  as  to  resemble  a  crown  of  thorns.  The  profu- 
sion and  delicacy  of  the  carvings  is  really  wonderful.  My 
attention  was  called  to  the  likeness  of  a  hand  grasping  a 
bunch  of  flowers,  on  one  of  the  pillars.  I  do  not  know  that 
it  was  finer  than  many  of  the  other  carvings  ;  but  a  close  in- 
spection revealed  a  delicacy,  beauty  and  finish  such  as  I  do 
not  remember  to  have  seen,  and  the  lines  were  as  perfect  as 
if  cut  yesterday.  The  arches  over  the  seats  in  the  cloister 
and  the  corners  of  the  windows,  are  adorned  with  the  finest 
carvings  of  flowers,  fruit,  leaves,  plants,  vegetables  and  shells. 
The  Scotch  "kail,"  a  species  of  cabbage,  has  a  prominent 
place  in  the  finest  carvings,  in  all  parts  of  the  building. 
There  are  numerous  queer  carvings,  showing  the  freedom  of 
the  times.  Some  of  them  seem  to  reflect  severely  on  the 
morals  of  the  monks,  as  they  represent  members  of  the 
brotherhood  in  situations — to  say  the  least,  questionable. 
They  would  seem  to  have  led  an  easy  life,  and  at  the  reform- 
ation were  the  subject  of  many  satires.  Scott  gives  us  an 
extract  from  one  of  them  : 

"  The  Monks  of  Melrose  made  fat  kail 
On  Fridays  when  they  fasted; 
And  neither  wanted  beer  nor  ale. 
As  long  as  their  neighbors'  lasted." 

The  ornamental  carvings  would  repay  weeks  of  study, 
so  profuse  and  varied  are  they.  An  historian  says,  "there  are 
the  finest  lessons  and  the  greatest  variety  of  Gothic  orna- 
ments that  the  island  affords,  take  all  the  other  religious 
structures  together." 

Reading  Scott's  description  of  the  ruin,  I  had  supposed  it 
made  up  largely  of  the  poet's  fancies.  And  yet  nothing 
written  by  the  poet  is  more  fanciful  than  the  things  which  he 
describes. 


MELROSE  TO  ABBOTSFORD.  57 

"  Spreading  herbs,  and  flowerets  bright, 
Glistened  with  the  dew  of  night ; 
Nor  herb,  nor  floweret,  glistened  there, 
But  was  carved  in  the  cloister  arches  as  fair, 


"  The  darkened  roof  rose  high  aloof 
On  pillars,  lofty,  and  light,  and  small; 
The  key-stone  that  locked  each  ribbed  aisle, 
Was  a  fleur-de-lys,  or  aquatre-feuille; 
The  corbels  were  carved  grotesque  and  grim 
And  the  pillars,  with  clustered  shafts  so  trim, 
With  base  and  with  capital  flourished  around, 
Seemed  bundles  of  lances  which  garlands  had  bound." 

After  examining  the  ruins  in  detail,  and  taking  in  their 
grand  proportions  from  the  burial  ground  in  which  they 
stand,  one  is  led  to  wonder  what  the  abbey  must  have  been 
in  its  perfection  of  beauty,  when  through  the  windows  of 
gorgeously  stained  glass  the  sun  lighted  up  nave  and  tran- 
sept, while  monkish  voices  chanting  in  monotone,  echoed 
through  the  lofty  arches.  And  all  this  wealth  of  beauty  and 
of  splendor  to  be  enjoyed  by  its  inmates  alone  ;  for  Melrose 
was  not  yet  a  village,  and  Edinburgh  but  a  small  town, 
nearly  forty  miles  distant.  The  pious  zeal  of  the  middle  ages 
which  prompted  such  expenditures,  I  cannot  understand. 

The  village  of  Melrose  possesses  little  of  interest.  The 
curious  stones  and  devices,  and  the  letters  I.  H.  S.  on  the 
older  buildings,  do  not  indicate  that  Presbyterianism  is  wan- 
ing in  Scotland,  but  only  that  the  stones  of  which  most  of 
these  houses  are  built  have  been  pillaged  from  time  to  time 
from  the  abbey. 

From  Melrose  to  Abbotsford  is  three  miles,  over  a  smooth 
graveled  road.  The  day  was  fine,  the  scenery  charming, 
and  I  was  glad  to  observe  that  here  as  elsewhere  in  Scotland 
there  is  little  of  abject  poverty  or  even  of  shiftlessness  ap- 
parent. Leaving  Melrose  the  driver  called  my  attention  to 
the  three-topped  Eildon  hills,  which  he  gravely  assured  me 
were  one  till  split  by  the  wizard  Michael  Scott.  The 


58  ABBOTSFORD. 

country  is  rolling,  indeed,  hilly  ;  there  are  many  fine  resi- 
dences in  sight,  and  I  caught  occasional  glimpses  of  the 
River  Tweed.  Abbotsford  is  not  seen  from  a  distance  in 
this  direction,  and  when  we  approached  it  I  was  surprised 
that  Sir  Walter  should  have  chosen  so  low  a  spot,  almost  sur- 
rounded by  hills,  for  his  residence.  It  was  formerly  a  low 
moorland  farm,  and  before  it  received  the  euphonious  name 
of  Abbotsford,  was  known  in  the  neighborhood  by  the  more 
descriptive  one  of  "Clarty  Hole."  Sir  Walter  is  said  to  have 
purchased  the  farm  to  indulge  his  antiquarian  fancies,  as  con- 
taining the  whole  of  the  battle-field  of  Melrose,  the  last  great 
border  clan  fight  in  which  the  Scotts  took  a  part ;  also 
Thomas  the  Rhymer's  glen,  a  celebrated  spot,  where  Thomas 
of  Ercildoune  was  wont  to  meet  his  spouse  the  elfin  Fairy 
Queen.  The  house  is  a  wonderful  combination  or  aggrega- 
tion, apparently  without  design — as  if  built  piecemeal  as  the 
needs  or  fancies  of  the  owner  suggested,  and  yet,  taken  as  a 
whole,  its  appearance  is  quite  satisfactory.  By  an  admirer 
of  the  poet  it  has  been  called  "a  poem  in  lime  and  mortar." 
The  grounds  are  admirably  kept,  and  as  nearly  as  possible  in 
the  same  condition  as  when  Sir  Walter  died.  There  is  a 
profusion  of  trees,  shrubbery,  gravel  walks,  rustic  seats,  etc. 
Into  the  walls  of  the  house  and  garden  have  been  intro- 
duced many  interesting  fragments  and  relics  from  ancient 
castles  and  abbeys.  Sir  Walter  is  said  to  have  spent  over  a 
quarter  of  a  million  dollars  on  the  house  and  grounds. 

The  principal  entrance  is  on  the  east  side,  and  is  adorned 
with  petrified  stags  horns,  while  over  it  is  a  lintel  taken  from 
the  old  Tolbooth  of  Edinburgh  with  the  inscription: 

"  The  Lord  of  armies  is  my  Protector, 
Blessit  are  they  that  trust  in  the  Lord  1575." 

On  one  side  of  the  hall  are  stained  glass  windows  with  pieces 
of  ancient  armor  between.  The  ceiling  and  cornice  are  of 
oak  and  finely  carved.  The  cornice  contains  the  arms  of 


THE  ARMORY.  59 

the  border  clans  painted  on  small  shields  with  an  inscrip- 
tion stating  that,  "  These  be  the  coat  armoires  of  the  Clanns 
and  chief  men  of  name  wha  keepit  the  marchys  of  Scotland 
in  the  auld  tyme  for  the  Kynge.  Trewe  men  were  they  in 
their  defence.  God  them  defendyt."  On  each  side  of  the 
door  at  the  end  of  the  hall  is  a  figure  in  armor ;  one  holds  a 
large  two-handed  sword,  the  other  a  spear.  The  floor  is 
marble  of  different  colors. 

The  great  hall  or  armory  is  ceiled  with  curious  carvings, 
partly  from  the  ancient  palace  of  Dumfermline.  It  is  well 
lighted,  and  the  walls  are  covered  with  instruments  of  border 
warfare,  axes,  targets,  broadswords,  daggers,  muskets,  knives, 
pistols,  hunting  horns,  etc.  There  are  several  full  suits  of 
armor  once  worn  by  historic  characters,  and  a  number  of 
swords  and  cuirasses  picked  up  on  the  field  of  Waterloo. 
The  drawing  room  is  spacious  and  richly  furnished  in  carved 
cedar  and  ebony.  The  chairs,  tables,  cabinets,  writing  desk 
and  piano  were  presented  to  the  poet  by  George  IV.  There 
is  also  a  fine  ebony  writing  desk,  the  gift  of  George  III. 
The  dining  room  has  some  fine  family  portraits,  among  them 
two  sons  and  two  daughters  of  the  poet.  There  is  also  a 
portrait  of  Sir  Walter's  great-grandfather,  .  known  as 
"Beardie."  After  the  execution  of  Charles  I,  regarded  by 
him  as  a  "holy  martyr,"  he  permitted  his  hair  and  beard  to 
grow  as  a  token  of  mourning  and  remembrance.  There  are 
portraits  of  Cromwell,  Charles  II.  Claverhouse  ;  also  Cam- 
rood's  picture  of  the  head  of  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots,  taken 
a  few  hours  after  her  execution — fine  as  a  work  of  art  but  a 
strange  subject  for  a  dining  room.  It  was  in  this  room 
41  The  weary  wheel  of  life  at  length  stood  still. " 

and  Sir  Walter  passed  away  Sept.  21,  1832. 

The  library   is   a  large   room,  I   should  say  forty-five  by 
sixty  feet.     The  ceiling,  like  that  of  most  of  the  other  rooms, 

3 


60  THE  MUSEUM. 

is  of  oak  and  finely  carved.  The  walls  are  covered  with 
book  cases  containing  over  20,000  volumes,  many  of  them 
rare  and  valuable  gifts  to  the  poet.  On  the  north  side  is  a 
projecting  window  where  the  poet  loved  to  sit,  affording  a 
fine  view  of  the  River  Tweed,  which  runs  within  a  few  rods 
of  the  house.  The  custodian  informed  me  that  in  the 
library,  as  in  the  other  principal  rooms,  no  changes  have  been 
permitted  since  the  death  of  Sir  Walter.  The  private  study, 
where  his  literary  work  was  done,  is  a  small  room  entered 
from  the  library  and  lighted  by  a  single  window.  It  is  now 
arranged  as  when  used  by  Sir  Walter.  The  writing  table,  an 
arm-chair  covered  with  black  leather,  and  another  chair  con- 
stitute the  movable  furniture.  There  are  shelves  on  three 
sides  holding  books  of  reference,  and  all  within  reach  from 
the  arm-chair.  In  an  adjoining  closet  is  a  case  containing 
the  last  clothes  worn  by  Sir  Walter.  Blue  coat  with  brass 
buttons,  striped  vest,  plaid  pantaloons,  gaiters,  heavy  shoes 
and  wide  brimmed  white  hat,  also  his  walking  cane. 

To  show  the  taste  of  Sir  Walter  in  such  matters  I  give 
some  of  the  more  interesting  articles  in  his  museum  of  curi- 
osities :  Napoleon's  pistols,  pen  case,  portfolio,  and  a 
partly  used  stick  of  sealing  wax  found  in  the  Emperor's  car- 
riage after  the  battle  of  Waterloo,  with  an  autograph  letter  of 
the  Duke  of  Wellington  presenting  them  to  Sir  Walter ; 
spurs  of  Oliver  Cromwell,  armor  of  James  VI.,  Rob  Roy's 
gun,  shield  and  purse ;  Claverhouse's  pistol,  sword  of  Mont- 
rose,  presented  to  him  by  Charles  I.,  double-barreled  gun  of 
Balfour,  Prince  Charles'  sword  and  knife,  war  horn  from 
Hermitage  Castle;  clock  of  Marie  Antoinette,  Bruce's  candle- 
stick, Helen  McGregor's  brooch,  Tarn  O'Shanter's  snuff  box, 
Burns'  tumbler  ;  lock  of  Selkirk  jail,  keys  of  Loch  Leven 
Castle  and  of  Edinburgh  Tolbooth;  hair  of  Prince  Charles, 
Duke  of  Wellington  and  Lord  Nelson  ;  thumb-screws,  gags 
and  other  instruments  of  torture ;  the  iron  mask  worn  by 


SUGGESTED  MEMORIES.  6 1 

Wishart  at  the  stake  to  prevent  him  from  addressing  the 
people.  But  by  far  the  most  interesting  relic  to  me  was  a 
pearl  cross  worn  by  the  beautiful  and  unfortunate  Mary, 
Queen  af  Scots.  As  she  ascended  the  scaffold  wearing  this 
cross,  the  Earl  of  Kent  rudely  said,  "Take  away  that  trum- 
pery, we  should  wear  Christ  in  our  hearts  ;"  to  which  she 
quickly  replied,  "And  wherefore  should  I  have  Christ  in  my 
hand  if  he  were  not  in  my  heart?" 

Abbotsfo.rd  is  wonderfully  suggestive  of  its  gifted  founder. 
Nearly  every  tree  was  planted  by  his  hand  or  under  his 
direction.  The  large  sums  received  from  the  sale  of  his 
most  popular  works  were  expended  on  the  building  and 
grounds.  Abbotsford  is  indeed  as  much  the  product  of  his 
mind  and  genius  as  Waverly  or  Marmion.  Here  he  sur- 
rounded himself,  without  regard  to  expense,. with  the  works 
of  art  and  historical  and  antiquarian  relics  which  his  fancy 
craved,  and  here  for  years  practiced  an  almost  princely  hos- 
pitality. Abbotsford  became  a  kind  of  show  and  hostelry, 
visited  by  the  famous  men. of  Europe. 

Abbotsford  also  recalls  those  sad  days  when,  advanced  in 
years,  and  weighed  down  with  bankruptcy,  the  brave  heart 
drove  the  failing  hand  in  an  honest  but  strained  effort  to  pay 
his  accumulated  debts.  He  accomplished  his  heart's  desire 
his  debts  were  paid — by  his  executors.  It  also  recalls  those 
sadder  days  when,  after  in  vain  seeking  health  on  foreign 
shores,  he  returned  home  to  Abbotsford  to  die,  his  wel- 
come by  his  favorite  dogs,  the  childlike  delight  with  which 
he  recognized  familiar  objects  as  he  moved  from  room  to 
room,  the  wish  to  be  again  seated  by  the  familiar  desk  in  the 
old  arm-chair — and  the  silent  tears  as  the  pen  fell  from  his 
paralyzed  fingers.  All  these,  and  the  final  good  bye,  "  God 
bless  you  all,"  with  which  he  went  to  rest,  .were  uppermost 
in  my  thoughts  and  left  a  saddened  feeling  as  I  bade  farewell 
to  Abbotsford. 


62 


CHAPTER  V. 

LONDON. 

Melrose  to  London— A  Station  Dining-room— London— The  Old  City— Modern 
London-  -The  Albert  Memorial— The  American  Exchange— Charing  Cross 
—Trafalgar  Square— The  National  Gallery— Whitehall— Parliament  House 
—Victoria  Tower—Hall,  Chambers,  Galleries,etc  —House  of  Lords— House 
of  Commons— Clock  Tower— Great  Tom  of  Westminster— Westminster 
Hall— St.  Margaret's  Church. 

From  Melrose  to  London  is  about  350  miles,  through  a 
country  thickly  settled,  and  for  the  most  part  fertile  and  well 
cultivated.  In  Westmoreland  are  some  barren  moors,  and 
as  we  pass  through  mining  districts,  we  occasionally  find 
land  of  a  poor  quality.  I  shall  not  attempt  to  describe  the 
towns  we  passed  ;  the  principal  being  Harwich,  Skipton,  the 
manufacturing  city  of  Leeds,  Chesterfield,  Trent,  Leicester, 
Bedford  (the  home  of  John  Bunyan),  and  St.  Albans.  For 
most  of  the  way  I  had  as  fellow  passengers  a  Catholic  priest 
and  two  commercial  travelers,  well  informed  as  to  the  objects 
of  interest  on  the  way,  and  disposed  to  afford  all  desired 
information. 

We  stopped  thirty  minutes  for  dinner  at  a  station  dining- 
room.  There  was  a  fine  display  of  china,  glassware  and 
cutlery.  The  table  was  set  for  dinner,  and  looked  well,  with 
plenty  to  eat,  but  a  great  lack  of  variety  ;  potatoes,  cabbage, 
bread  and  roast  beef  being  not  only  the  staples,  but  pretty 
much  all  that  it  afforded.  About  the  time  when  at  such 
a  table  in  America  the  waiter  rapidly  enumerates  half-a-doz- 
en kinds  of  pies  and  puddings  from  which  one  may  choose, 
or  hands  you  a  bill  of  fare  in  which  the  dessert  figures  quite 
conspicuously,  a  waiter  pronounced  quickly  in  my  ear  some- 


ARRIVAL  IN  LONDON.  63 

thing  which  sounded  like  "Chishaw,  Chiddaw,  Stitton." 
The  English  gentleman  next  to  me  had  said,  *"  Chishaw  ;"  so 
I  followed  suit,  and  in  a  short  time  the  waiter  supplied  us 
with  liberal  slices  of  Cheshire  cheese.  I  inquired  of  my 
neighbor  as  to  what  the  result  would  have  been  if  I  had  said 
"  Chiddaw  or  Stitton,"  and  was  informed  that  in  that  case 
the  cheese  would  have,  been  Cheddar  or  Stilton — for  dessert 
I  had  my  choice  of  three  kinds  of  cheese.  The  charge  for 
dinner  was  sixty-two  cents.  One  of  the  commercial  travel- 
ers, who  had  visited  the  United  States,  informed  me  that  the 
great  variety  of  food  kept  prepared  in  our  hotels,  and  of 
which  small  portions  are  served  as  ordered,  is  unknown  in 
Great  Britain.  He  amused  me  by  a  story  of  an  American 
just  landed  in  England,  who,  desiring  a  square  meal,  made  a 
liberal  order  for  breakfast.  After  long  waiting  a  procession 
of  waiters  entered  the  room,  one  bearing  a  boiled  ham,  an- 
other a  boiled  tongue,  a  third  a  broiled  chicken,  a  fourth  a 
large  cooked  fish,  etc.,  etc.  The  wonderful  variety  ordered 
had  astonished  the  landlord — the  bill  astonished  the  Amer- 
ican. 

We  arrived  in  St.  Pancras'  station,  London,  about  nine 
o'clock  at  night,  in  a  severe  rain  storm.  This  immense  de- 
pot is  the  largest  I  have  seen  ;  the  train-shed  alone  is  700 
feet  long  by  240  wide,  and  is  spanned  by  a  single  arch  140 
feet  high.  I  got  into  a  cab  with  a  fellow  traveler  and  our 
baggage,  and  was  driven  to  the  Waverley  hotel,  over 
two  miles  distant.  On  alighting  and  inquiring  the  fare,  the 
driver  carefully  replied,  "the  legal  fare  is  two  shillings." 
The  peculiar  accent  on  the  word  legal  indicated  clearly 
enough  that  something  more  than  legal  fare  would  be  accept- 
able, and  an  extra  sixpence — in  all  sixty-two  cents — caused 
his  face  to  assume  a  satisfied  expression.  The  same  service 
in  New  York  wrould  have  cost  from  two  to  three  dollars. 
Purposing  to  spend  some  time  in  London,  I  started  early 


64  THE   HOTEL    CLERK. 

next  morning  to  find  quarters  in  what  is  known  as  a  "pri- 
vate hotel,"  and  found  just  the  place  I  desired,  on  Charter- 
house Square.  My  room  fronts  on  the  square,  covered  with 
grass  and  liberally  supplied  with  trees,  yet  in  the  heart  of 
the  great  city.  I  am  within  five  minutes  walk  of  the  Gene- 
ral Post  Office  or  of  St.  Paul's. 

One  thing  that  surprises  a  stranger  at  English  or  Scotch 
hotels,  is  the  absence  of  that  wonderful  genius  and  encyclo- 
pedia of  general  information — guide  book,  time  table,  direct- 
ory, gazetteer  and  price  list — usually  bound  in  broadcloth, 
and  known  in  America  as  the  hotel  clerk.  How  often  have 
I  applied  to  him  for  all  kinds  of  information,  and  how  sel- 
dom have  I  failed  to  receive  prompt  and  correct  answers. 
On  entering  the  British  hotel  you  usually  see  several  young 
ladies  ;  approach  the  one  who  stands  nearest  the  writing  ma- 
terials, and  she  can  generally  tell  you  if  there  is  a  room  va- 
cant, but  that  is  about  the  extent  of  her  information.  On  no 
other  subject,  general  or  local,  does  she  seem  to  have  an 
opinion. 

Having  secured  a  hotel,  I.  devoted  the  day  to  a  general 
survey  of  the  city,  and  largely  as  seen  from  the  tops  of  om- 
nibuses. In  this  way  I  made  myself  familiar  with  the  prin- 
cipal streets,  public  buildings  and  parks,  my  fellow  passen- 
gers adding  considerably  to  my  stock  of  information  on 
local  subjects.  For  six  months  before  leaving  home  I  had 
frequently  studied  a  large  ordnance  map  of  London,  and 
endeavored  to  familiarize  myself  with  the  location  of  the 
streets  and  places  of  interest.  I  find  myself  quite  at  home 
as  to  the  direction  of  places  and  of  streets,  and  must  say  that 
the  city  is  more  like  what  I  expected  to  see  than  any 
strange  place  I  ever  visited. 

The  city,  or  that  part  of  -modern  London  over  which  the 
Lord  Mayor  presides,  and  known-  as  the  corporate  city 
of  London,  is  of  small  extent,  and  almost  entirely  occupied 


MODERN    LONDON.  65 

for  business  purposes.  It  extends  from  Temple  Bar  on  the 
west  to  the  Tower  on  the  east.  Its  southern  boundary 
is  the  Thames,  and  it  has  an  area  of  about  a  square  mile,  or 
to  be  exact,  632  acres.  Its  population  is  about  60,000,  a  de- 
crease of  nearly  one-half  in  twenty  years.  During  the 
hours  of  business  it  is  said  to  contain  500,000  people.  This 
small  territory  is  the  commercial  center  of  the  world.  It 
contains  the  Bank  of  England,  Royal  Exchange,  Mansion 
House,  Custom  House,  General  Post  Office,  St.  Paul'8 
Church  and  the  Tower.  It  was  formerly  divided  into  over 
100  parishes  ;  how  small  some  of  them  were,  may  be  judged 
by  the  fact  that  the  open  space  in  front  of  the  Exchange 
was  formerly  a  parish,  and  the  erection  of  the  post  office 
building  used  up  the  whole  of  another.  The  value  of  land 
may  be  estimated  from  a  recent  sale,  where,  in  Lombard 
street,  it  sold  at  the  rate  of  $10,000,000  per  acre.  There 
was  a  town  here  before  the  Romans,  but  the  city  walls  and 
forts  were  built  and  the  gates  fixed  by  them.  After  500 
years  occupation  they  abandoned  it  to  the  Anglo-Saxons^ 
who  suffered  it  to  go  to  decay.  William,  the  Norman  con- 
queror, built  the  white  tower,  and  granted  a  charter  to  the 
first  city  of  London. 

Modern  London  contains  about  140  square  miles,  with  a 
population  estimated  at  4,500,000.  At  the  present  rate 
of  increase  the  population  will,  A.  D.  2,000,  number  over 
8,000,000.  Within  this  territory  it  is  said  there  are  more 
Roman  Catholics  than  in  Rome,  more  Jews  than  in  all  Pal- 
estine, more  Welsh  than  in  Cardiff,  more  Scotch  than  in 
Aberdeen,  and  more  Irish  than  in  Belfast.  There  is  in 
active  operation  over  300  miles  of  railway.  The  London 
customs  dues  equal  those  of  all  other  places  in  the  kingdom. 
During  the  past  ten  years  70,000  houses  have  been  built, 
the  total  number  of  residences  being  over  500,000.  Its 
7,600  streets,  placed  end  to  end,  would  reach  nearly  3,000- 


66  THE  ALBERT  MEMORIAL. 

miles,  or  from  New  York  to  Queenstown.  Its  1,100  church- 
es will  not  seat  one-tenth  of  its  inhabitants.  There  are  over 
40  theaters,  and  400  concert  saloons,  7,500  public  houses, 
1,700  coffee  houses,  and  500  hotels  and  inns.  There  is  sold 
in  London  annually  3,000,000  quarters  of  wheat,  250,000 
oxen,  1,500,000  sheep,  130,000  calves,  200,000  pigs,  8,000,- 
ooo  head  of  poultry  and  game,  400,000,000  pounds  of  fish, 
180,000,000  quarts  of  malt  liquor,  31,000,000  quarts 
of  wine,  18,000,000  quarts  of  spirits,  and  6,500,000  tons  of 
coal.  The  daily  water  supply  is  150,000,000  gallons.  There 
are  10,000  cabmen,  and  11,000  policemen.  In  1879  there 
were  3,872  street  accidents,  to  3,961  persons,  of  whom  237 
were  killed,  the  others  injured.  There  were  last  year  8,483 
lost  children,  of  whom  23  were  not  found.  Of  the  size  of 
the  modern  city,  figures  convey  but  a  faint  idea.  It  has 
already  swallowed  up  60  villages  ;  and  after  riding  a  whole 
day  on  omnibuses  and  tram-cars,  I  was  obliged  to  hire  a  cab 
and  drive  a  long  distance  to  find  the  country,  or  rather,  to 
reach  a  place  where  the  houses  began  to  get  scarce. 

While  riding  in  the  vicinity  of  Hyde  Park,  my  attention 
was  called  to  the  Albert  Memorial,  the  most  imposing  and 
expensive  monument  of  modern  times,  having  cost  nearly 
§900,000.  It  consists  of  a  gothic  cross  and  canopy,  sur- 
mounted by  a  spire  reaching  to  the  height  of  175  feet.  Un- 
der the  canopy  is  a  gilded  statue  of  the  prince,  15  feet 
in  height.  The  platform  on  which  it  stands  is  approached 
by  four  flights  of  steps,  each  130  feet  wide.  At  each  angle 
is  a  group  of  statues,  representing  Europe,  Asia,  Africa,  and 
America,  and  around  the  base  are  200  life-size  figures 
and  reliefs  of  the  distinguished  men  of  all  ages  and  countries. 
As  the  name  of  each  is  carved  in  the  stone  there  is  no  guide 
book  necessary  to  understand  the  grouping  of  the  figures. 
But  this  splendid  monument  is  far  too  elaborate  for  descrip- 
tion in  detail.  An  accurate  idea  of  its  general  appearance 


THE    ALBERT    MEMORIAL. 


PRINCE    ALBERT.  67 

may  be  obtained  from  the  fine  engraving.  This  is  but  one 
of  the  many  memorials  erected  to  the  memory  of  the  prince 
consort  ;  they  may  be  found  in  nearly  all  the  principal  cities 
of  the  kingdom. 

That  a  plain  man,  of  simple  tastes  and  habits,  whose  chief 
distinction — as  distinctions  are  reckoned — would  seem  to  be 
that  he  had  been  husband  of  the  queen,  should  receive  the 
consideration  usually  reserved  for  successful  statesmen  and 
soldiers,  has  excited  the  ire  of  Mr.  Richard  Grant  White,  to 
a  remarkable  degree.  He  calls  it,  in  a  Boston  periodical, 
"  the  most  obtrusively  offensive  monument  in  London  ;" 
and  speaks  of  the  statue  of  its  subject  as  "the  gilded,  en- 
throned, enshrined  and  canopied  effigy  of  the  demi-god  of 
the  commonplace."  I  look  at  the  matter  from  a  different 
standpoint,  and  probably  not  the  Bostonian.  The  success- 
ful statesman  may  be  merelv  the  "boss  liar."  The  suc- 
cessful general  may  owe  his  fame  largely  to  blind  luck,  or  to 
a  recklessness  of  life  and  stolid  indifference  to  suffering  that 
would  be  invaluable  to  a  thug  or  butcher,  but  not  calculated 
to  adorn  private  life.  Where  military  success  elevates  to 
high  position  such  a  man — it  may  be  of  dissolute  habits  and 
inherent  meanness  of  character — the  contemplation  of  the 
original  is  sufficiently  disagreeable,  and  does  not  suggest  any 
pressing  necessity  for  a  monument.  No,  no,  Mr.  White  ; 
the  widow's  cap, .  the  nun's  hood,  the  nurse's  apron,  the 
threadbare  frock  of  the  factory  girl,  or  the  faded  calico 
of  the  uncomplaining  wife  of  the  drunkard  may  point  you  to 
sublimer  exhibitions  of  heroism  than  can  be  found  in  cabi- 
nets, or  wearing  shoulder-straps  and  gilt  buttons.  Prince 
Albert  was  a  man  of  refined  tastes;  a  poet,  a  musician, 
interested  in  art,  and  earnestly  devoted  to  the  elevation 
of  the  working  classes.  But  I  am  inclined  to  attribute  the 
veneration  in  which  his  memory  is  held  by  the  English  peo- 
ple to  other  reasons,  and  that  do  them  honor — their  thorough 


68  THE  AMERICAN  EXCHANGE. 

appreciation  of  the  fact  that  he  was  a  pure  and  upright 
man,  and  an  exemplary  husband  and  father.  While  England 
is  famous  for  just  such  men,  in  an  humbler  sphere,  they  have 
been  sufficiently  rare  in  the  very  highest  station,  to  warrant 
the  pleased  and  generous  recognition  of  the  nation. 

One  of  the  first  places  I  visited  in  London  is  the  Ameri- 
can Exchange,  on  the  Strand,  near  Charing  Cross.  By  pay- 
ing one  dollar  and  a  quarter  I  am  entitled  to  the  privileges  of 
the  Exchange  for  one  month.  Here  I  receive  my  letters, 
and  if  absent  they  will  be  forwarded  to  my  address.  The 
reading  room  contains  files  of  the  principal  American  dai- 
lies, (among  them  the  Detroit  Free  Press),  and  here  one 
meets  daily  with  persons  from  almost  every  State  in  the 
Union.  A  register  is  kept  of  Americans  in  London,  and 
where  they  reside,  money  is  exchanged,  drafts  cashed,  etc., 
etc.  It  is  a  most  useful  institution,  and  its  employes  are 
well  informed  and  ready  to  afford  just  such  information  as 
the  stranger  in  London  is  most  likely  to  want.  After  a  day 
of  sight-seeing  it  is  a  pleasant  place  of  resort,  each  evening 
bringing  its  list  of  new  arrivals.  I  find  it  interesting  to  lis- 
ten to  the  '•  travelers'  stories"  of  those  who  have  just  crossed 
the  ocean,  or  returned  from  a  tour  on  the  continent.  Re- 
marking on  the  American  disposition  to  "draw  the  long 
bow,"  one  of  the  clerks  told  us  a  good  story  of  some  passen- 
gers just  landed  from  different  vessels,  and  comparing  their 
ocean  experiences.  One  of  them  told  how  on  the  tenth  of 
the  month,  they  had  encountered  in  mid-ocean  immense 
swarms  of  locusts',  so  large  and  so  voracious  that  they  "  car- 
ried off  every  shred  of  canvas  on  the  ship."  A  sedate  look- 
ing man,  who  had  listened  to  this  monstrous  lie,  drew  a  long 
breath,  and  proceeded  at  once  to  "  catch  up,"  by  remarking 
thoughtfully,  and  with  a  sigh  of  lelief,  "That  explains  it; 
yes,  that  explains  all.  It  was  next  day — yes,  the  eleventh — 
that  we  met  that  swarm  of  locusts,  and  every  one  of  them 


CHARING    CROSS.  69 

wore  a  pair  of  canvas  pants  !"  "  How  did  the  man  who  told 
the  first  story  take  it  ?"  inquired  some  one.  There  came  a 
"far  away  look"  in  the  honest  clerk's  eyes  as  he  replied,. 
"He  got  right  up  and  went  out,  looking  so  despondent  that 
we  followed  him,  afraid  he  would  make  for  the  river, 
but  found  him  just  around  the  corner  in  the  Strand, 'kicking 
himself  !" 

Charing  Cross  is  regarded  as  the  geographical  center,  and 
on  that  account  is  the  vicinity  in  which  Americans  usually 
prefer  to  find  hotels  or  boarding  houses.  It  derives  its  name 
from  the  fact  that  Edward  I.  erected  a  cross  here,  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Charing,  in  memory  of  his  wife  Eleanor.  The  histo- 
rian says  :  "Wherever  Eleanor's  corpse  rested  on  its  transit 
from  Grantham  to  Westminster  Abbey,  Edward  erected 
a  cross  in  memory  of  her."  The  original  cross  was  of  wood, 
replaced  by  stone  and  destroyed  by  order  of  the  "  Long  Par- 
liament." The  site  was.  for  some  time  used  as  a  place 
of  execution,  and  a  pillory  erected.  On  it  now  stands  a 
statue  of  Charles  I.,  erected  in  1674.  This  statue  had  been 
cast  in  1633,  but  not  erected  when  the  civil  war  broke 
out,  and  wras  sold  by  the  parliament  to  a  brazier  with 
the  singularly  appropriate  name  of  John  Rivet,  who  pre- 
tended to  sell  parts  of  it  both  to  the  friends  and  foes  of  the 
Stuarts  in  the  form  of  charms,  etc.  At  the  restoration,  how- 
ever, Rivet  produced  the  statue  entire.  Being  a  good  roy- 
alist, he  had  buried  it  ia  his  garden,  and  in  1674  it  was 
erected  on  its  present  site.  Afac  simile  of  the  original  cross 
stands  in  an  enclosure  in  front  of  the  Charing  Cross  railway 
station.  It  is  seventy  feet  high,  quite  elaborate,  and  said  to 
have  cost  $10,000. 

Charing  Cross  forms  a  part  of  what  is  known  as  Trafalgar 
Square.  This  famous  square  has  for  its  chief  attraction 
the  Nelson  Column,  145  feet  high  and  said  to  be  the  exact 
proportions  of  a  Corinthian  column  of  the  Temple  of  Mars 


7O  THE  NATIONAL    GALLERY. 

at  Rome.  There  is  a  granite  statue  of  Nelson  on  the  top, 
seventeen  feet  in  height.  The  pedestal  has  remarkably  fine 
bronze  reliefs,  which,  like  the  other  ornamentations  are 
made  of  captured  French  cannon.  They  represent  the  bat- 
tle of  the  Nile,  battle  of  Copenhagen,  battle  of  St.  Vincent 
and  the  death  of  Nelson  at  Trafalgar.  Around  the  base  of 
the  column  are  four  large  lions,  in  bronze,  designed  by  Sir 
Edwin  Landseer  assisted  by  Baron  Marochetti.  Near  the 
column  are  two  very  fine  fountains,  discharging  150  gallons 
per  minute  to  a  height  of  about  forty  feet.  There  are  also 
in  Trafalgar  Square,  statues  of  Sir  Henry  Havelock,  Sir 
Charles  Napier  and  George  IV.  The  west  side  of  the 
square  is  occupied  by  the  Union  Club  building,  and  adjoin- 
ing it  is  the  Royal  College  of  Surgeons.  At  the  north-east 
corner  is  the  beautiful  church  of  St.  Martin's-in-the-Fields. 
In  its  burial  ground  are  the  graves  of  Jack  Shepard  and 
Nell  Gvvynne. 

The  National  Gallery  is  on  the  north  side  of  Trafalgar 
Square  and  has  a  front  of  500  feet.  The  building  has  a 
Corinthian  portico  and  a  dome,  but  has  a  singular,  squatty, 
one-story  appearance,  and  is  not  such  a  building  as  one 
would  expect  to  see  used  as  the  great  National  Picture  Gal- 
lery of  England.  It  dates  only  from  1832.  There  are  eight- 
een rooms  containing  over  1,000  pictures,  about  half  of 
them  by  English  artists.  The  largest  contributors  in  the 
English  department  are  Lawrence,  Reynolds,  Gainsborough 
and  Landseer.  Rosa  Bonheur's  celebrate  picture,  "  The 
Horse  Fair  "  is  in  this  department.  Over  100  foreign  artists 
are  represented.  Some  of  the  more  celebrated  artists  have 
several  pictures,  and  the  great  value  of  the  collection  may 
be  judged  of  by  the  number  of  such — Rembrandt  fifteen, 
Rubens  fourteen,  Raphael  six,  Murillo  three,  Salvator  Rosa 
three,  Titian  nine,  Teniers  ten,  Guido  seven,  Paul  Veronese 
six,  Vandyck  six.  Among  the  more  celebrated  paintings 


PALACE  OF  WHITEHALL.  7  I 

are  Raphael's  "  St.  Catharine  of  Alexandria,"  costing  $25,- 
ooo  ;  Corregio's  "  Holy  Family,"  "  Ecce  Homo,"  and 
"Mercy  Instructing  Cupid,"  the  three  costing  §50,000  ;  Ru- 
bens' "  Judgment  of  Paris,"  and  "  Rape  of  the  Sabines," 
Murillo's  "Vision  of  a  Knight  "  and  "  Holy  Family,"  Paul 
Veronese's  "  Family  of  Darius,"  and  Da  Vinci's  "Christ 
Disputing  in  the  Temple." 

Whitehall,  and  its  continuation,  Parliament  street,  lead 
from  Charing  Cross  to  the  Houses  of  Parliament  and  West- 
minster Abbey.  But  a  short  distance  from  Charing  Cross, 
on  the  east  side  of  the  street,  is  Scotland  Yard  the  head 
quarters  of  the  Metropolitan  Police.  Passing  the  Admiralty 
office  and  pay  department,  we  reach  the  barracks  known  as 
the  Horse  Guards.  Nearly  opposite  to  it  formerly  stood 
the  ancient  Palace  of  Whitehall,  the  home  of  Wolsey  as 
Archbishop,  and  afterward  the  residence  of  Henry  VIII., 
who  was  married  to  Anne  Boleyn  in  a  room  of  the  palace. 
Whitehall  was  from  this  time  a  favorite  residence  of  the 
reigning  monarchs.  Cromwell  also  resided  here,  and  is  said 
to  have  preached  sermons  three  hours  long  to  the  people 
assembled  in  the  palace  hall.  But  few  places  are  more  in- 
timately identified  with  the  history  of  England  than  the  pal- 
ace of  Whitehall.  Now  only  the  banqueting  house  con- 
verted into  a  Chapel  Royal  by  George  IV.  remains,  the  rest 
of  the  palace  having  been  destroyed  by  fire.  It  was  in  front 
of  the  banqueting  house  and  nearly  opposite  the  Horse 
Guards  that  Charles  I.  was  beheaded.  The  scaffold  was 
erected  in  the  street  and  a  door  broken  through  the  wall, 
through  which  the  king  passed  to  execution. 

Passing  the  Treasury  and  Colonial  buildings  we  reach 
Parliament  Square.  On  the  east  side  are  the  new  Houses  of 
Parliament,  by  far  the  most  extensive  buildings  in  London, 
covering  an  area  of  eight  acres,  and  being  four  times  as 
large  as  St.  Paul's  Church.  They  occupy  the  site  of  the 


72  THE  HOUSES  OF  PARLIAMENT. 

ancient  palace  of  Westminster,  used  as  a  residence  by  the 
sovereigns  of  England  from  the  early  Anglo-Saxon  times 
till  York  Place,  the  residence  of  Wolsey,  was  confiscated  by 
Henry  VIII.,  and  became  his  royal  palace  of  Whitehall.  In 
the  old  palace  of  Westminster  was  the  original  "Star  Cham- 
ber," so  called  from  the  gilt  stars  upon  its  ceiling.  Here 
sat  in  secret  session  a  court,  whose  judges  were  not  subject 
to  the  ordinary  forms  of  legal  procedure,  who  sentenced 
the  accused  without  a  hearing,  inflicting  torture,  mutilation, 
branding,  etc.,  at  their  pleasure.  After  an  existence  of  two 
centuries  it  was  abolished  in  1640.  The  palace  of  West- 
minster was  used  by  the  lords  and  commons  as  a  parliament 
house,  from  1547  till  1834  when  it  was  burned,  excepting 
th.e  famous  Westminster  Hall  which  remains.  The  New 
Parliament  Houses  were  commenced  in  1840  and  occupied 
in  1859.  The  east  front  faces  the  river,  from  which  really 
the  best  view  is  obtained,  and  is  940  feet,  or,  say  fifty-seven 
rods  long.  There  are  eleven  quadrangular  courts  and  500 
apartments,  with  eighteen  official  residences,  some  of  them 
quite  large,  for  the  officers  of  the  lords  and  commons.  There 
is  also  a  convenient  chapel  for  the  use  of  the  inmates.  The 
style  of  the  building  is  Gothic,  and  I  was  surprised  at  its 
fine  appearance  and  eligible  location.  I  had  read  that  there 
was  "  neither  symmetry  nor  beauty  about  the  building  as  a 
whole,"  which,  allowing  me  to  be  the  judge,  is  very  far  from 
true.  It  is  built  of  a  dark  red  sandstone,  blackened,  of 
course,  by  the  London  smoke.  Its  outer  walls  are  every- 
where ornamented  with  statues  and  elaborate  carving.  It 
has  two  large  towers,  and  a  richly  decorated  belfry  spire, 
rising  to  the  height  of  320  feet. 

At  the  chamberlain's  office,  near  the  Victoria  Tower,  I 
received,  by  merely  asking  for  it,  a  ticket  of  admission  to 
the  state  apartments  and  houses  of  lords  and  commons.  The 
Victoria  Tower  is  the  largest  and  highest  square  tower  in 


THE  ROYAL  GALLERY.  73 

the  world,  beiftg  seventy-five  feet  square  and  336  feet  high 
— or  over  400  feet  to  the  top  of,  the  flag  staff.  The  royal 
entrance  is  at  the  base  of  the  tower,  by  a  very  high  archway 
on  the  west  side.  The  royal  carriage  enters  the  tower,  stop- 
ping at  the  royal  staircase,  which  leads  from  it  to  the  House 
of  Lords.  The  interior  of  the  tower  contains  statues  of  St. 
George,  St.  Andrew  and  St.  Patrick,  also  a  very  large  statue 
of  Queen  Victoria,  writh  figures  on  each  side,  representing 
Justice  and  Mercy.  The  walls  and  roof  exhibit  a  great 
amount  of  rich  emblematical  carving,  and  all  this  richness 
is  bestowed  on  a  room  which  only  serves  as  an  entrance-way 
for  the  sovereign,  when  visiting,  at  long  intervals,  the  House 
of  Lords. 

Ascending  the  royal  staircase,  we  pass  through  the  Nor- 
nian  porch,  decorated  with  statues  of  the  Norman  kings,  to 
the  queen's  robing  room,  fifty-four  by  twenty-seven  feet  and 
twenty-five  feet  high,  lighted  from  the  south  by  six  windows 
of  stained  glass.  At  the  east  end,  on  a  raised  platform,  is  a 
chair  of  state,  a  most  elaborate  affair,  and  the  walls  are  cov- 
ered with  frescoes  illustrating  scenes  in  the  life  of  King 
Arthur.  The  floor  is  inlaid  with  various  woods,  with  an  oak 
border  containing  many  emblematical  scenes.  The  fire- 
place is  of  the  finest  marble,  and  the  furniture  is  covered 
with  gold.  We  next  pass  into  the  royal  gallery,  a  magnifi- 
cent room,  forty-five  by  one  hundred  and  ten  feet  and  forty- 
five  feet  high.  It  is  to  this  gallery  that  the  privileged  public 
are  admitted  to  view  the  royal  procession  on  its  passage  to 
the  House  of  Lords.  There  are  raised  seats  on  each  side,  the 
entire  length  of  the  room,  for  the  use  of  the  sight  seers  on 
these  occasions.  The  walls  above  these  seats  are  decorated 
with  frescoes,  among  which  are  fine  paintings  of  "The 
Meeting  of  Wellington  and  Blucher  after  the  Battle  of 
Waterloo,"  and  "The  Death  of  Nelson  at  Trafalgar."  The 
windows  are  of  stained  glass  and  below  them  is  a  belt  of 


74  THE  PRINCE  S  CHAMBER. 

shields  with  the  arms  of  royalty  in  different  forms  and  de- 
vices. The  ceiling  is  dark  blue  with  a  very  large  amount  of 
gilding.  There  are  gilded  statues  of  King  Alfred,  William 
I..  Richard  I.,  Edward  III.,  Henry  V.,  Elizabeth,  William 
III.,  and  Anne. 

The  Prince's  chamber  comes  next  and  serves  as  a  kind  of 
ante-room  to  the  House  of  Lords,  and  it  is  here  the  queen  is 
received  by  the  principal  nobility,  before  entering  the  house. 
This  room  has  a  very  large  statue  of  Queen  Victoria,  sup- 
ported by  figures  representing  Justice  and  Mercy.  The 
walls  are  covered  with  full-length  portraits  of  the  kings  and 
queens  of  England  from  1485  to  1603.  Henry  VIII.  and 
all  his  wives  appear.  There  is  also  a  fine  full-length  por- 
trait of  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots.  The  ceiling  is  beautiful ;  a 
dark  blue,  with  the  arms  of  the  three  Kingdoms  and  floral 
and  other  designs  in  gold. 

We  nowr  enter  the  House  of  Lords,  and  are  in  what  the 
guide  book  says  is  "  The  finest  specimen  of  Gothic  civil 
architecture  in  Europe.",  The  chamber  is  ninety  by  forty- 
five  feet,  but  the  great  height  of  the  ceiling  (forty-five  feet) 
makes  it  appear  much  smaller.  The  throne  is  at  the  south 
end,  next  to  the  prince's  chamber,  and  with  the  platform 
and  space  surrounding  it,  occupies  about  one-third  of  the 
room.  The  light  comes  through  twelve  lofty  windows  of 
stained  glass,  six  on  each  side.  The  stained  glass  is  remark- 
ably brilliant,  representing  all  the  kings  and  queens,  both 
regnant  and  consort,  from  William  the  Conqueror  to  Queen 
Victoria.  There  are  more  female  figures  than  male,  and  as 
the  artists  were  not  hampered  by  those  ideas  of  sanctity  and 
its  supposed  appropriate  paleness  of  color  which  affect  the 
robes  of  saints  and  martyrs  in  cathedral  windows,  but  were 
allowed  to  revel  in  all  gorgeousness  of  color  in  the  rich 
draperies  of  the  queens,  the  effect  is  rich  and  brilliant  be- 


THE  HOUSE  OF  LORDS.  75 

yond  description.  A  narrow  railed  gallery  surrounds  the 
House,  that  at  the  end  opposite  the  throne  being  the  re- 
porter's gallery,  and  in  a  recess  back  of  it  is  the  stranger's 
gallery.  The  House  is  divided  into  three  parts,  at  the  south 
end  the  throne  with  its  appendages,  and  at  the  other  end  a 
small  enclosure  known  as  the  bar,  is  railed  off.  The  bar 
would  probably  accommodate,  conveniently,  a  dozen  people, 
and  is  supposed  to  contain  the  members  of  the  house  of 
commons  when  her  majesty  reads  her  message  to  both 
houses.  It  is  also  used  by  counsel  when  judicial  proceed- 
ings are  in  progress  before  the  house.  On  one  side  of  the 
bar  is  the  quarters  of  the  usher  of  the  black  rod,  and  at  the 
other  seats  for  the  sons  of  peers. 

The  space  between  the  platform  of  the  House  and  the 
bar  is  seated  for  the  use  of  the  members.  It  is  a  space,  I 
should  judge,  not  exceeding  forty-five  by  fifty-five  feet  and 
has  seats  or  rather  benches,  said  to  accommodate  250  mem- 
bers. The  " Woolsack"  is  a  large  ottoman,  so  heavily 
cushioned  with  crimson  cloth  as  to  somewhat  resemble  in 
form  its  namesake,  and  is  the  seat  of  the  lord  chancellor. 
There  are,  in  the  center,  a  number  of  desks  for  the  clerks, 
and  on  the  sides,  rows  of  benches  rising  above  each  other, 
circus  fashion,  for  the  use  of  the  members.  The  benches 
are  broad  and  the  backs  look  comfortable,  being  covered 
with  purple  morocco  and  stuffed.  The  lords  have  no 
desks  or  tables,  but  sit  like  the  boys  in  a  country  school- 
house  before  desks  were  invented.  One  would  suppose  the 
position  must  be  uncomfortable.  The  coat  tails  of  the 
noble  lords  in  front  must  be  respected,  the  seats  cannot  be 
"tilted,"  and  there  is  no  chance  to  get  the  heels  up  on  any- 
thing. No  American  legislative  body  would  endure  such  an 
invasion  of  personal  liberty  and  individual  rights  for  a 
single  day.  To  be  honest  about  it,  and  jesting  aside,  it 
seems  to  me  it  would  be  difficult  to  devise  a  place  more 
4 


76  THE     THRONE. 

inconveniently  arranged  for  the  purposes  of  legislation,  than 
the  House  of  Lords. 

The  throne,  although  used  but  seldom,  as  her  majesty's  vis- 
its are  few  and  far  between,  occupies,  as  I  have  said,  about 
one-third  of  the  room.  It  is  elevated  three  steps  from  the 
floor,  the  platform  being  covered  with  the  richest  scarlet  vel- 
vet; the  figures  are  lions  and  roses  worked  in  gold,  with  a 
heavy  gold  fringe  by  way  of  border.  At  each  side  of  the 
throne,  and  a  step  lower,  is  a  chair  of  state.  One  wras  intended 
for  the  Prince  Consort,  the  other  for  the  Prince  of  Wales. 
There  is  a  canopy  over  each,  that  over  the  throne  being 
much  higher  and  the  decorations  much  finer  than  over  the 
chairs  of  state.  The  beauty  and  richness  of  the  carvings, 
gildings  and  colorings  of  the  canopy,  and  the  recess  back  of 
the  throne,  it  is  impossible  to  describe.  The  throne  is  a 
high,  gabled  arm  chair,  elaborately  carved,  and  entirely  cov- 
ered with  gold.  It  rests  on  four  small  gilt  lions.  The, 
footstool  is  about  eighteen  inches  long,  covered  with  the 
richest  crimson  velvet,  embroidered  with  gold. 

The  frescoing  is  a  marvel  of  art,  the  entire  walls  being 
covered  with  historical  paintings  by  the  best  artists  England 
affords.  There  are  numerous  small  gilded  statues  in  the 
niches,  among  them  the  effigies  of  the  eighteen  barons 
deputed  to  obtain  Magna  Charta  of  King  John.  I  have 
noted  the  subjects  of  most  of  the  paintings  but  shall  not 
inflict  them  on  my  readers.  Indeed,  it  is  impossible  to 
convey  any  idea  of  the  beauty  and  magnificence  of  this 
room.  All  that  the  highest  art,  stimulated  by  money  with- 
out limit,  could  do,  has  been  done  to  make  the  House  of 
Lords  the  most  royally  magnificent  room  in  the  world. 

The  Peers'  lobby  is  the  principal  entrance  to  the  House 
of  Lords.  It  is  thirty-eight  feet  square  and  thirty  feet 
high.  It  is  decorated  in  the  most  elaborate  style,  and  has 
a  peculiarly  elegant  appearance.  The  walls,  ceiling  and 


THE  HOUSE  OF  COMMONS.  77 

floor  might  be  described  at  great  length  but  I  forbear.  The 
most  novel  thing  in  this  room  is  the  massive  brass  gates  of 
the  south  door,  weighing  one  and  a  half  tons.  The  work- 
manship is  wonderfully  intricate  and  beautiful. 

The  central  hall  is  sixty  feet  in  diameter  and  octagonal  in 
form,  vaulted  over  with  stone.  The  enormous  stones  which 
form  the  ribs  of  the  roof,  are  inlaid  with  Venetian  glass 
mosaic  in  numerous  devices.  Each  of  the  eight  sides  has 
archways  with  six  niches,  beautifully  designed;  in  each,  and 
filled  with  statues  of  kings  and  queens. 

The  House  of  Commons  is  seventy  by  forty-five  feet  and 
forty-five  feet  high,  and  is  much  plainer  in  its  decorations 
and  furnishings  than  the  House  of  Lords.  The  speaker's 
chair  is  at  the  north  end  and  beneath  it  is  the  clerk's  table, 
on  which  lies  the  mace,  made  after  the  restoration  to  replace 
the  "fool's  bauble"  which  Cromwell  ordered  his  soldiers  to 
take  away.  Over  the  speaker's  chair  is  the  visitors'  gallery. 
The  benches  to  the  right  of  the  speaker  are  occupied  by  the 
party  of  the  government  for  the  time  being,  the  leaders 
occupying  the  front  seats.  The  opposition  occupy  the 
benches  on  the  other  side.  There  is  sitting  room  for  476 
members,  and  there  are  no  desks  except  for  the  clerks. 
Now,  there  are  658  members  of  the  house  of  commons,  so 
that  182  members  are  not  provided  with  seats.  Of  course, 
members  can  vote  by  proxy,  and  yet  it  seems  strange  to  me 
that  in  a  building  covering  eight  acres  there  should  not  have 
been  provision  made  for  seating  all  the  members  of  the 
popular  branch  of  the  government. 

The  metropolitan  police  are  in  charge  of  the  building, 
and  although  watchful,  are  very  polite  and  willing  to  give 
information.  One  of  them,  evidently  proposing  to  do  me 
a  favor,  took  pains  to  conduct  me  to  an  ante-room,  where 
was  an  extensive  system  of  hat-racks,  each  peg  bearing 
the  card  of  a  member  of  the  house  of  lords.  He  solemnly 


78  GREAT  TOM  OF  WESTMINSTER. 

pointed  to  a  card  bearing  the  name  of  "Beaconsfield."  I 
gazed  at  the  peg  where  was  wont  to  rest  the  tile  of  the 
deceased  Jew  with  as  interested  an  expression  as  under  the 
circumstances  I  could  assume — the  kindly  intention  of  my 
guide  was  evident. 

The  clock  tower  is  320  feet  high  and  said  to  contain  the 
finest  tower  clock  in  the  world.  The  dial  is  the  largest  yet 
made,  being  twenty-three  and  a  half  feet  in  diameter.  This 
tower  occupies  the  site  of  the  clock  tower  of  Edward  I., 
where  the  " Great  Tom  of  Westminster"  sounded  the  hours 
for  the  judges  of  England  who  held  court  in  the  adjoin- 
ing buildings.  The  expense  of  erecting  the  tower  had  been 
defrayed  by  a  fine  on  Hingham,  Chief  Justice  of  England. 
An  old  chronicle  says,  "  It's  intent  was,  by  the  clock  strik- 
ing continually,  to  remind  the  judges  in  the  neighboring 
courts  to  administer  true  justice,  they  calling  thereby  to 
mind  the  occasion  and  means  of  its  building." 

In  the  reign  of  William  and  Mary  a  curious  circumstance 
occurred  in  connection  with  this  clock.  One  of  the  guards 
at  Windsor  Castle,  twenty  miles  distant,  was  accused  of 
having  fallen  asleep  at  his  post,  was  tried,  and  condemned 
to  death.  He  however  asserted  his  innocence,  claiming  as  a 
proof  of  his  being  awake  that  at  midnight  he  had  heard 
Great  Tom  of  Westminster  strike  thirteen.  This  was 
doubted,  both  on  account  of  the  great  distance  and  its 
improbability,  but  before  the  time  fixed  for  the  execution, 
the  evidence  of  this  little  eccentricity  on  the  part  of  the 
clock  was  so  conclusive  that  the  condemned  man  received 
the  royal  pardon. 

Adjoining  the  parliament  houses  on  the  west,  and  now 
used  as  a  vestibule,  is  Westminster  Hall,  built  by  William 
Rufus,  wrho  held  court  here  in  1099.  It  has  witnessed  more 
tragic  scenes  in  English  history  than  any  other  building  in 
England  except  the  Tower  of  London.  It  is  290  feet  long. 


WESTMINSTER    HALL.  79 

70  feet  wide,  90  feet  high,  and  its  large  square  towers 
and  high  gable  front  on  New  Palace  Yard.  Parliament 
assembled  in  Westminster  as  early  as  1248,  and  in  it  the 
highest  court  in  England  has  been  held  for  over  seven 
centuries.  Here  Sir  Wm.  Wallace  and  Sir  John  Oldcastle 
were  condemned  to  death,  and  it  was  here  the  Duke  of 
Buckingham,  on  being  condemned  to  the  scaffold  in  1522, 
made  the  touching  speech  familiar  in  the  words  of  Shakes- 
peare. Sir  Thomas  More,  Bishop  Fisher,  Protector 
Somerset,  Duke  of  Norfolk,  Earl  of  Essex,  Duke  and 
Duchess  of  Somerset  are  a  few  names  of  the  many  who 
have  been  tried  and  received  their  death  sentence  in  West- 
minster. Here  in  1640  Charles  I  and  his  queen  listened  to 
the  eighteen  days'  trial  of  the  Earl  of  StrafTord,  the  king 
being  compelled  to  abandon  his  favorite  to  the  vengeance  of 
the  growing  puritanical  sentiment  in  parliament.  Nine 
years  later  the  king  himself  sat  in  Westminster  Hall  a 
prisoner,  with  the  banners  captured  at  Naseby  hanging  over 
his  head,  and  was  condemned,  as  a  "tyrant,  traitor,  and 
murderer,"  to  be  executed  in  front  of  his  palace  of  White- 
hall. The  last  great  trial  in  Westminster  Hall  was  that 
of  Warren  Hastings,  so  eloquently  described  by  Macauley. 
Many  other  scenes  and  pageants  occur  to  me  as  I  gaze 
on  its  carved  oak  ceiling  and  bare  walls  ;  the  only  thing  it 
now  contains  is  about  a  dozen  statues  of  English  kings 
and  queens.  All  the  coronation  banquets  from  Wm.  Rufus 
to  George  IV.  have  been  held  in  Westminster  Hall. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  Parliament  street  is  Parliament 
Square,  an  open  space  containing  a  beautiful  Gothic  fountain 
and  a  number  of  bronze  statues  of  modern  statesmen. 
Adjoining  this  square,  on  the  south,  is  St.  Margaret's 
Church,  a  place  of  much  interest.  During  the  common- 
wealth St.  Margaret's  was  the  church  of  the  house  of 
commons,  and  its  pulpit  was  occupied  by  the  leading 


8o  ST.  MARGARET'S  CHURCH. 

Puritan  divines,  among  them  Calamy,  Owen,  Baxter  and 
Lightfoot.  The  preaching  of  that  day  was  wonderfully 
personal  in  its  character,  and  the  minister  did  not  "beat 
about  the  bush  "  in  making  the  application.  In  St.  Mar- 
garet's the  leading  men  of  the  day,  even  Cromwell  him- 
self, were  freely  denounced  on  account  of  their  supposed 
shortcomings.  One  of  these  fiery  Puritans,  preaching 
before  General  Monk,  cried  out  :  "  There  are  some  who 
will  betray  three  kingdoms  for  filthy  lucre's  sake,"  and 
threw  his  handkerchief  in  the  General's  pew  !  "  I  wish  we 
had  such  a  preacher  in  Washington,"  said  an  American  lady, 
as  the  story  was  told  us  by  a  reverend  divine,  evidently 
posted  on  the  history  of  St.  Margaret's.  "  Where  in  the 
world  would  the  poor  man  find  a  supply  of  handkerchiefs  " 
was  the  quick  response  of  another  lady,  evidently  posted 
in  regard  to  Washington. 

A  beautiful  window,  presented  by  Ferdinand  and  Isa- 
bella of  Spain  to  Henry  VII.,  is  much  admired.  It  repre- 
sents the  crucifixion  with  attendant  horrors  in  truly  Catholic 
style,  but  with  a  beauty  and  delicacy  of  coloring  that  is 
rarely  seen.  The  monuments  and  inscriptions  are  numer- 
ous, and  many  of  them  of  much  historical  interest.  Beneath 
the  altar  rest  the  remains  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  beheaded 
in  Palace  Yard  in  1618. 


8i 


CHAPTER  VI. 

LONDON. 

Westminster  Abbey — Anticipations — First  Impressions — History — A  City  of 
the  Dead — Poet's  Corner — Monuments  and  Memorials— Henry  VII'p  Chapel 
--Chapel  of  Edward  the  Confessor — Coronation  Chair--Musings  and  Rec- 
ollections— Outside  Surroundings. 

Next  to  St.  Margaret's  Church,  on  the  south,  is  Westmins- 
ter Abbey.  For  a  quarter  of  a  century  I  had  indulged  the 
hope  of  one  day  visiting  this  historic  building — "the  silent 
meeting-place  of  the  great  dead  of  eight  centuries ;"  a  spot 
sacred  to  all  who  inherit  the  English  tongue.  It  had  been  a 
sort  of  day-dream, 

11  Through  the  aisles  of  Westminster  to  roam, 
Where  bubbles  burst,  and  folly's  dancing  foam 
Melts,  if  it  cross  the  threshold.  ' 

It  was  therefore  with  feelings  of  no  ordinary  interest  that, 
approaching  it  from  the  west,  I  first  beheld  its  lofty  and  pin- 
nacled towers.  The  deeply  recessed  Gothic  doorway  below, 
and  "huge  Gothic  window  above,  seemed  familiar,  so  often 
had  I  seen  them  illustrated  in  books  and  engravings.  The 
exterior  has  much  Gothic  decoration,  and,  darkened  by  the 
breath  of  centuries,  would  be  interesting  and  imposing  on 
merely  architectural  grounds,  were  it  not  for  the  wonderful 
attractiveness  of  the  interior,  and  its  wealth  of  noble  dust. 

There  is  a  great  deal  in  first  impressions  ;  and  I  am  glad 
that  my  first  visit  to  this,  the  most  interesting  of  the  histori- 
cal places  in  London,  or,  indeed,  in  England,  was  made  on 
a  beautiful  Sunday  morning,  to  attend  Divine  service,  and 
not  with  the  week-day  visitors,  to.  be  shown  around  at  so 
much  per  head.  Phrenologists  say  my  bump  of  reverence 


82  FIRST    IMPRESSIONS. 

is  not  largely  developed,  and  I  was  surprised  to  find  myself 
so  moved  and  impressed  by  my  surroundings.  As  I  walked 
down  the  aisle  to  a  seat  in  that  part  of  the  nave  railed  off  for 
church  service,  my  eyes  took  in  the  profusion  of  monuments 
and  statues  which  encircle  the  walls  and  aisles  of  the  build- 
ing. The  solemn  notes  of  the  organ  were  echoing  through 
the  lofty  columns  and  arches,  and  as  the  fine  choir  joined  in 
an  anthem  of  praise,  I  felt  as  if  I  was  indeed  on  holy 
ground.  An  English  writer  has  said  "  In  St.  Peter's  at 
Rome,  one  is  convinced  that  it  was  built  by  great  princes. 
In  Westminster  Abbey,  one  thinks  not  of  the  builder  ;  the 
religion  of  the  place  makes  the  first  impression,  and  though 
stripped  of  its  shrine  and  altars,  it  is  nearer  converting  one 
to  popery  that  all  the  regular  pageantry  of  Roman  domes." 
Sweeter  music  I  never  heard  and  the  acoustic  qualities  of 
the  building  must  be  excellent  as  every  word  of  the  anthems 
and  hymns  could  be  distinctly  heard.  The  responses  in 
monochord  by  the  choir,  were  simply  perfect.  An  Ameri- 
can, sitting  beside  me,  must  have  been  impressed  as  I  was. 
He  whispered,  "*  Did  you  ever  hear  so  much  music  in  an 
Amen,"  and  I  confessed  that  I  never  had.  The  service  was 
read  by  Canon  Duckworth,  the  clergyman  that,  according  to 
the  newspapers,  the  Princess  Louise  wanted  to  marry,  and 
the  very  excellent  sermon  was  by  Canon  Pierson. 

I  visited  the  abbey  next  as  a  sight-seer,  note  book  in 
hand,  but  with  a  reverence  for  the  place  and  its  surround- 
ings already  established.  Like  many  of  the  English 
churches,  Westminster  Abbey  is  said  to  occupy  the  site  of  a 
heathen  temple.  The  first  Christian  church  was  erected  by 
Sebert,  king  of  the  East  Saxons,  A.  D.  610.  It  was  de- 
stroyed by  the  Danes,  but  rebuilt  by  Edward  the  Confessor, 
A.  D.  1050,  who  made  it  an  abbey,  and  ordained  that  all  the 
P^nglish  monarchs  should  be  crowned  here.  The  corona- 
tion of  every  English  sovereign  since  that  time  has  taken 


HISTORIC  ASSOCIATIONS.  83 

place  in  Westminster  Abbey.  Here  too  are  buried  many 
of  England's  kings  and  queens.  The  poet  has  happily  ex- 
pressed it  : 

"  That  antique  pile  behold, 
Where  royal  heads  receive  the  sacred  gold ; 
It  gives  them  crowns,  and  does  their  ashes  keep; 
There  made  like  Gods,  like  mortals  there  they  sleep, 
Making  the  circle  of  their  reign  complete — 
These  suns  of  empire,  where  they  rise  they  set." 

Here  also  are  buried  so  many  of  the  distinguished  men  of 
Great  Britain,  as  to  almost  make  it  a  national  temple  of 
fame.  Indeed  the  highest  honor  that  can  be  bestowed  on  a 
deceased  Englishman,  is  burial  here.  "  Victory  or  West- 
minster Abbey"  was  the  electric  cry,  understood  and  appre- 
ciated by  his  men,  with  which  Nelson  entered  the  battle  of 
Cape  St.  Vincent.  This  venerable  edifice  has  seen  Eng- 
land successively  Saxon,  Norman,  and  English.  Within  its 
walls  the  Catholic  mass  has  been  chanted,  and  the  Anglican 
service  read  ;  and  under  its  roof  the  Westminster  Assemb- 
ly's Confession  of  Faith  was  formulated  and  from  thence 
was  published.  It  has  seen  England  an  absolute  mon- 
archy, a  republic  and  a  constitutional  monarchy.  Indeed 
the  memories  and  histories  which  are  associated  with  this 
place,  are  calculated  to  excite  and  interest  in  a  wonderful 
degree  one  familiar  with  English  history. 

The  abbey  is  in  the  form  of  a  cross,  about  400  feet  long, 
and  200  wide  at  the  transepts.  To  this  may  be  added 
Henry  VII's  Chapel,  built  on  the  east  end,  115  feet  long 
and  80  feet  in  width.  There  are  various  styles  of  architect- 
ure employed  in  the  interior,  especially  in  the  chapels  and 
cloisters,  but  the  interesting  memorials  they  contain  make 
one  neglect  or  forget  the  fine  points  of  the  noble  building; 
and  yet,  as  my  eye  followed  the  curves  of  the  massive  and 
finely  wrought  arches  till  they  met  one  hundred  feet  above 
me,  I  could  not  help  feeling  that 

"Thej'  dreamed  not  of  a  perishable  home 
Who  thus  could  build  " 


84  POET'S  CORNER. 

Indeed  there  is  a  great  pleasure  in  contemplating  the  arched 
and  ornamented  ceilings  of  lofty  cathedrals.  The  upturned 
eye  does  not  call  back  the  aspiring  soul  to  count  cracks  or 
cobwebs,  but  one  enjoys  to  the  full  the 

"  Arch'd  and  ponderous  roof, 
By  its  own  weight  made  steadfast  and  immovable, 
Looking  tranquility  !  " 

One  is  not  impressed  at  any  point  in  the  interior  with  the 
great  size  of  the  building.  It  is  so  broken  up  by  partitions, 
and  screens,  and  railings,  and  columns,  and  arches,  that  it 
must  be  seen  and  studied  in  detail.  There  is  but  little 
sameness  ;  scarcely  a  chapel  or  tomb  or  memorial  resembles 
any  other.  The  impression  soon  takes  possession  of  one 
that  he  is  in  a  great  city  of  the  dead.  Every  inch  of  space 
has  its  tomb  or  memorial,  and 

'•  Speaking  marbles  show 

What  worthies  form  the  hallowed  mould  below; 
Proud  names,  who  once  the  reins  of  empire  held; 
In  arms  who  triumph  d,  or  in  arts  excelled; 
Chiefs,  graced  with  scars,  and  prodigal  of  blood; 
Stern  patriots,  who  for  sacred  freedom  stood; 
Just  men,  by  whom  impartial  laws  were  given; 
And  saints,  who  taught  and  led  the  way  to  heaven." 

Hardly  a  noted  family  in  England  but  is  represented  here 
by  some  of  its  members. 

Entering  the  south  transept  we  are  in  what  is  known  as 
Poet's  Corner,  a  name  first  mentioned  by  Goldsmith.  Geof- 
fry  Chaucer,  "  the  father  of  English  poetry,"  was  buried 
here  in  1400,  and  near  him  lie  Spencer;  Drayton,  Dryden, 
Cowley,  Gay,  Prior, — "  enough  almost  to  make  passengers' 
feet  to  move  rythmically,  who  go  over  the  place  where  so 
much  poetical  dust  is  interred."  There  are  monuments  or 
memorials  to  those  I  have  mentioned  and  also  to  Milton, 
Goldsmith,  Thompson,  Campbell,  Gray,  Butler,  Southey, 
and  others,  whose  names  and  works  are  not  so  familiar. 
Indeed  one  is  surprised  to  find  so  many  of  the  great  poets 


THE  NAVE.  85 

unrepresented,  and  led  to  accept  the  statement  of  Addison, 
that  "  There  are  many  poets  who  have  no  monuments,  and 
many  monuments  which  have  no  poets."  There  is  a  fine 
statue  of  Addison  and  near  it  rest  the  remains  of  Macauley 
and  Charles  Dickens.  There  are  also  monuments  to  Gar- 
rick,  Sheridan,  Beaumont,  Thackeray,  Grote  and  "  rare  Ben 
Johnson."  There  is  a  fine  monument  to  Shakespeare,  the 
figure  of  the  poet  representing  an  elegant  and  refined  gentle- 
man in  an  easy  attitude.  The  heads  on  the  pedestal  repre- 
sent Henry  V.,  Richard  III.,  and  Queen  Elizabeth.  On  a 
scroll  appears  the  well  known  lines  of  the  poet  : 

k'The  cloud-capp'd  towers,  the  gorgeous  palaces, 
The  solemn  temples,  the  great  globe  itself, 
Yea,  all  which  it  inherit,  shall  dissolve: 
And,  like  this  insubstantial  pageant  faded — 
%  Leave  not  a  rack  behind." 

I  greatly  admired  a  fine  monument  to  Handel  by  the  sculp: 
tor  Roubiliac.  The  left  arm  of  the  composer  is  resting  on 
a  group  of  musical  instruments,  and  he  is  represented  as 
listening  interestedly  to  the  music  of  an  angel,  playing  a 
harp  in  the  clouds  over  his  head.  Before  him  lies  the  score 
of  the  Messiah,  with  the  page  open  containing  the  well 
known  air,  "  I  know  that  my  Redeemer  liveth." 

The  nave  contains  a  wonderful  variety  of  tombs  and 
memorials,  very  many  of  them  being  designed  to  perpetuate 
the  memories  of  persons  long  since  forgotten.  Indeed,  the 
number  of  almost  unknown  persons  who  have  secured  recog- 
nition, in  all  parts  of  the  building,  is  surprising.  Buried  in  a 
country  churchyard  they  might,  by  a  costly  monument,  have 
acquired  a  local  fame,  but  in  Westminster  Abbey  none  will 
pause  to  read  their  vulgarly  obtrusive  epitaphs.  I  can  give 
but  a  very  few  of  the  more  important  names,  which  appear 
in  nave  and  transepts. 

A  fine  monument  to  Sir  Isaac  Newton,  shows  a  reclining 
figure  of  the  philosopher,  his  right  arm  leaning  on  four  of 


86  NORTH  AISLE  AND  TRANSEPT. 

his  books.  Over  him  is  a  large  globe,  on  which  is  a  figure 
of  Astronomy  sitting,  with  her  book  closed.  Underneath  is 
a  bas-relief  showing  the  principal  discoveries  of  the  deceased, 
the  most  striking  of  which  to  me  was  a  representation  of  Sir 
Isaac  weighing  the  globe  with  a  steelyard  !  Near  by  rest 
the  remains  of  Sir  John  Herschel.  Near  a  new  and  mag- 
nificent memorial  window,  and  under  a  life  size  statue  of 
brass  lie  the  remiins,  of  Robert  Stephenson,  and  near  by 
Lord  Clyde  and  David  Livingstone.  In  the  pavement  is 
a  memorial  stone  to  "Rare  Ben  Johnson,"  who  is  buried 
beneath  it.  Near  each  other  rest  the  great  rival  orators, 
Charles  James  Fox  and  the  younger  Pitt,  who  both  died 
in  the  same  year,  1806,  recalling  the  words  of  Sir  Walter 
Scott : 

"The  mighty  chiefs  lie  side  by  side; 
Drop  upon  Fox's  grave  the  tear, 
'Twill  trickle  to  his  rival's  bier; 
O'er  Pitt's  the  mournful  requiem  sound, 
And  Fox's  shall  the  notes  rebound." 

In  the  choir  are  the  Tombs  of  King  Sebert,  who  first  built 
a  church  on  this  site,  and  died  in  6 1 6, 'and  Athelgoda  his 
queen,  who  died  in  615.  Also  of  Edward  Crouchback,  son  of 
Edward  III.,  and  of  Anne  of  Cleves,  wife  of  Henry  VIII. 
In  the  north  aisle  and  transept  are  fine  statues  of  Sir 
Robert  Peel,  George  Canning,  William  Pitt,  first  Earl  of 
Chatham,  Lord  Palmerston,  Lord  Mansfield,  Jonas  Han  way, 
Richard  Cobden,  and  Lord  Halifax.  There  is  a  fine  new 
monument  to  Fowell  Buxton,  the  abolitionist ;  also  one  to 
the  memory  of  Wilberforce,  the  philanthropist,  with  a  very 
long  inscription  giving  an  accounpt  of  his  life  and  labors. 
There  are  also  memorials  to  Hunter  the  anatomist,  and 
Brunei  the  engineer.  The  eminent  musicians  and  com- 
posers, Dr.  Croft,  Dr.  Arnold,  Dr.  Blow,  Henry  Purcell, 
William  Sterndale  Bennet,  and  Dr.  Charles  Burney,"  author 
of  a  valuable  history  of  music,  are  buried  here.  On  Pur- 


THE  SOUTH    AISLE.  87 

cell's  tomb  is  the  decidedly  extravagant  inscription  :  "  Here 
lies  Henry  Purcell,  who  left  this  life  and  is  gone  to  that 
blessed  place,  where  only  his  harmony  can  be  excelled." 

In  the  south  aisle  are  busts  of  Charles  Kingsley  and 
Frederic  I).  Maurice  ;  also  a  very  fine  statue  of  the  poet 
Wordsworth  and  memorials  to  Keble,  author  of  the  "  Chris- 
tian Year,"  to  Dr.  Watts,  and  to  John  and  Charles  Wesley. 
There  is  a  fine  monument  to  Lord  Viscount  Howe,  con- 
taining a  figure  said  to  be  "the  Genius  of  the  Province  of 
Massachusetts  Bay,"  whatever  that  may  mean.  The  tomb 
according  to  the  inscription,  in  remarkably  large  letters, 
was  erected  by  an  order  of  the  "  Great  and  General  Court 
of  the  Province  of  Massachusetts  Bay,  bearing  date  Feb- 
ruary i,  1759."  On  a  moulded  and  paneled  base  stands  a 
sarcophagus,  with  an  inscription  to  the  memory  of  Major 
Andre,  who  is  buried  near  by,  erected  by  order  of  George 
III.  There  are  bas-reliefs  containing  figures  of  General 
Washington  and  others.  Washington  is  represented  as  re- 
ceiving the  bearer  of  a  letter  written  by  Major  Andre  the 
night  before  his  execution,  pleading  for  a  soldier's  death, 
and  not  to  "die  on  the  gibbet."  Washington  is  now  wear- 
ing his  third  head,  two  having  been  knocked  off  and  carried 
away,  either  by  the  relic  hunters  or  by  sympathizers  with 
the  unfortunate  Andre. 

There  are  twelve  chapels  in  the  abbey,  affording  resting 
places  for  departed  greatness,  and  mostly  for  members  of 
the  royal  families  o'f  England.  All  are  interesting,  and 
there  is  a  wonderful  variety,  both  in  the  character  of  the 
designs  and  in  their  execution.  The  changes  in  architecture 
and  in  the  arts  during  eight  centuries  are  represented,  both 
in  the  chapels  and  the  memorials  which  they  contain.  I 
can  afford  space  for  but  a  brief  description  of  two  of  these 
chapels,  from  which  some  idea  of  the  general  character  of 
the  others  may  be  obtained. 


88  HENRY  VII. 'S    CHAPEL. 

Passing  up  a  flight  of  steps,  through  a  magnificent  arch- 
way and  great  gates  of  brass,  we  enter  Henry  VII. 's  chapel. 
I  recalled  the  words  of  Irving,  which  had  seemed  to  me 
fanciful  and  extravagant,  but  now,  in  view  of  the  scene 
described,  tame  and  commonplace  :  "  On  entering,  the  eye 
is  astonished  by  the  pomp  of  architecture,  and  the  elaborate 
beauty  of  sculptured  detail.  The  very  walls  are  wrought 
into  universal  ornament,  incrusted  with  tracery,  and  scooped 
into  niches,  crowded  with  statues  of  saints  and  martyrs- 
Stone  seems,  by  the  cunning  labor  of  the  chisel,  to  have  been 
robbed  of  its  weight  and  density,  suspended  aloft,  as  if  by 
magic,  and  the  fretted  roof  achieved  with  the  wonderful 
minuteness  and  airy  security  of  a  cobweb." 

This  chapel  is  115  by  80  feet  and  the  ceiling  about  70 
feet  high.  Its  interior  has  been  more  freqently  illus- 
trated by  pictures  and  engravings  than  any  other  part  of 
the  abbey,  and  is  wonderfully 'beautiful.  The  stalls  of  the 
knights  of  the  bath  surround  the  chapel,  the  end  stall  be- 
ing decorated  by  a  figure  of  Henry  VII.  About  a  hun- 
dred statues  of  patriarchs,  saints,  and  martyrs  surround 
the  walls,  placed  in  niches  supported  by  figures  of  angels. 
Not  far  from  the  center  of  the  chapel  is  the  tomb  of 
Henry  VII.,  and  his  wife,  Elizabeth  of  York.  It  is  en- 
closed in  a  chantry  of  brass,  ornamented  by  brass  statues 
of  saints  and  angels,  and  of  the  Virgin  and  Child.  Within, 
on  a  tomb  of  black  marble,  are  effigies  of  the  royal  pair 
wrapped  in  mantles  descending  to  their  feet.  The  crowns 
they  once  wore  have  been  stolen.  This  tomb  was  pro- 
nounced by  Lord  Bacon  "  One  of  the  stateliest  and  dain- 
tiest tombs  in  Europe."  Near  to  it  is  the  tomb  of  George 
II.  and  his  queen. 

A  restored  altar  marks  the  burial  place  of  Edward  VI. 
The  ancient  altar  was  destroyed  in  the  civil  wars,  but  a 
part  of  it  was  found  in  the  grave  of  the  king,  and  has 


ROYAL  TOMBS.  89 

been  inserted  in  the  new  altar,  which  also  contains  a 
piece  of  an  Abyssianian  altar  brought  from  Magdala,  a 
fragment  of  a  Greek  altar,  and  a  piece  of  the  high  altar 
of  Canterbury,  destroyed  in  1174.  This  restored  altar  was 
first  used  in  1870,  when  Dean  Stanley  administered  the 
sacrament  to  the  revisers  of  the  New  Testament,  com- 
posed of  representatives  of  almost  all  the  protestant  de- 
nominations, an  exhibition  of  Christian  love  and  brother- 
hood, severely  criticised  in  certain  quarters. 

In  the  south  aisle  is  the  old  royal  vault,  containing  the 
remains  of  Charles  II.,  William  III.,  and  Mary  his  queen, 
Prince  George  of  Denmark  and  Queen  Anne.  Near  by  is 
the  tomb  of  Edward  VI.,  and  also  of  a  large  number  of  the 
members  of  the  royal  family.  In  the  north  aisle  are  buried 
Edward  V.  and  his  brother  the  Duke  of  York,  the  young 
Princes  murdered  in  the  Tower  by  their  treacherous  uncle 
Richard  III.  They  were  privately  buried  near  the  scene  of 
their  murder  in  the  Tower,  but  their  remains  were,  by  order 
of  Charles  II.,  removed  to  Westminster  Abbey.  Here  is 
the  magnificent  tomb  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  erected  by  her 
successor,  James  I.,  and  in  the  same  tomb  is  buried  her  half 
sister  Queen  Mary,  the  last  Catholic  sovereign  of  England 
interred  here.  It  required  all  Elizabeth's  wonderful  sagacity 
and  cunning  to  keep  her  head  on  her  shoulders  during 
Mary's  troubled  reign,  and  her  Protestantism  kept  England 
in  a  ferment  as  to  her  succession  to  the  throne,  and  now, 
Catholic  and  Protestant,  they  rest  in  one  tomb.  And  as 
if  to  illustrate  more  fully  the  folly  of  human  enmities 
and  rivalries,  but  a  few  feet  from  the  tomb  of  Elizabeth 
stands  the  magnificent  tomb  of  her  victim,  the  unfortu- 
nate Mary,  Queen  of  Scots, — and  both  tombs  were  erected 
by  James  I.,  son  of  the  beheaded  Mary  ! 

Taking  advantage  of  a  neighboring  stairway  I  had  a 
good  view  of  the  features  of  Elizabeth,  as  shown  in  her 


90  CHAPEL  OF  EDWARD  THE  CONFESSOR. 

effigy,  reclining  on  a  rather  high  tomb.  She  is  represented 
as  old,  and  with  a  decidedly  haggish  and  ghoul-like  ex- 
pression, just  the  sort  of  face  one  would  like  to  forget  as 
soon  as  possible.  It  occurred  to  me  that  if  the  spirit  of 
Elizabeth  could  occupy  that  marble  form,  how  the  unceas- 
ing sigh  of  pity  over  the  grave  of  her  victim,  the  "  un- 
fortunate "  Mary,  would  echo  as  an  everlasting  torment 
to  the  soul  of  the  "  illustrious  "  Elizabeth.  In  all  parts 
of  this  chapel  may  be  found  elaborate  monuments  to 
persons  illustrious  in  English  history.  The  last  interment 
is  that  of  Dean  Stanley,  his  wife  had  been  buried  here 
in  1870. 

The  chapel  of  Edward  the  Confessor  is  usually  considered 
the  center  of  interest  in  the  abbey.  Near  its  center  is 
the  ancient  shrine  of  the  confessor,  who  died  in  1066,  and 
was  canonized  in  1161.  It  was  once  most  beautiful,  but 
has  been  sadly  defaced,  and  robbed  of  its  loveliness  by 
devotees  and  relic  hunters,  bound  to  have  a  piece  of  the 
tomb  of  this  most  pious  man.  His  shrine  was  before  the 
Reformation  a  place  of  pilgrimage,  and  is  still  so  re- 
garded by  Roman  Catholics.  Beside  him  rest  the  remains 
of  his  wife  Editha,  who  died  in  1073,  and  many  of  his 
relatives.  Near  by  is  the  grave  of  Matilda,  daughter  of 
Malcolm,  King  of  Scots,  and  wife  of  Henry  I.,  who  died  in 
1118.  On  the  north  side  of  the  chapel  is  a  tomb  of  fine 
material  and  workmanship,  to  the  memory  of  Henry  III., 
who  died  in  1272.  It  has  a  fine  gilt  effigy  of  the  king  and 
is  one  of  the  richest  looking  works  of  art  in  the  chapel.  The 
tomb  of  Henry  V.,  *'  Henry  of  Monmouth  "  and  hero  of 
Agincourt,  is  next,  and  contains  a  marble  slab  on  which 
lies  a  headless  figure  of  the  king.  The  body  was  carved  of 
English  oak,  but  the  head  was  cast  of  silver,  and  has  been 
stolen  on  account  of  its  intrinsic  value.  In  the  chantry 
above  the  tomb  are  some  interesting  relics — the  saddle, 


THE  CORNATION   CHAIR.  91 

shield  and  helmet  used  by  the  king  at  the  battle  of  Agin- 
court.  It  was  on  this  saddle  he 

"Vaulted  with  such  ease  into  his  seat, 
As  if  an  angel  dropp'd  down  from  the  clouds. 

And  the  helmet  is  "  that  very  casque  that  did  affright  the 
air  at  Agincourt,"  and  shows  plainly  the  marks  of  the  sword 
of  the  Duke  of  Alencon.  The  king  refused  to  have  this 
battered  helmet  carried  before  him  on  his  triumphal  entry 
into  London,  "  for  that  he  would  have  the  praise  chiefly 
given  to  God."  The  king  ordained  that  masses  for  his  soul 
should  be  "  forever "  offered  in  the  chantry.  The  last 
mass  said  in  the  abbey  was  at  the  funeral  of  Mary  in  1558. 

The  tomb  of  Edward  III.  and  his  queen  is  covered  with 
a  Gothic  canopy,  and  is,  like  most  of  the  others,  surrounded 
with  statues  of  the  family  and  friends  of  the  deceased  mon- 
arch, numbering  about  thirty  in  all.  This  feature  of  these 
ancient  tombs  is  of  great  interest,  as  they  are  probably  cor- 
rect likenesses  of  the  persons  they  are  intended  to  represent. 
Richard  II.  and  his  queen  have  a  joint  tomb,  on  which  lie 
the  royal  pair  in  effigy.  The  king  had  ordered  that  they 
should  be  represented  with  hands  joined  in  loving  clasp,  but 
their  arms  have  been  ruthlessly  stolen  ;  indeed  almost  every 
tomb  in  the  chapel  has  been  despoiled  of  some  of  its  parts 
or  ornamentation.  One  of  the  plainest  tombs  is  that  of  the 
famous  crusader,  Edward  I.,  greatest  of  the  Plantaganet 
kings.  Near  by  is  the  tomb  of  his  queen,  "  Eleanor  of  good 
memory,"  her  effigy  shows  a  face  of  great  beauty. 

In  this  chapel  is  the  coronation  chair,  in  which  all  the 
sovereigns  of  England  from  Edward  I.,  or  for  nearly  seven 
centuries,  have  been  crowned.  It  is  a  high-backed  and 
gabled  arm  chair.  The  seat  is  split  and  it  looks  rickety.  It 
has  been  much  whittled  and  sadly  marred  by  relic  seekers 
who  desired  a  piece  of  the  chair,  and  the  name  and  initial 
cutting  fiends  have  at  some  period  had  it  all  their  own  way. 
5 


92  THE  STONE  OF  SCONE. 

What  could  be  more  disgusting  than  to  see  J.  Smith,  in 
capitals,  carved  on  the  seat.  Securely  fastened  under  the 
seat  by  iron  bands  is  a  stone,  fifteen  by  twenty-six  inches 
and  eleven  inches  thick,  known  as  the  Stone  of  Scone.  Ac- 
cording to  tradition,  this  stone  is  the  pillow  on  which  Jacob 
rested  his  head,  when  he  dreamed  of  the  angels  ascending 
and  descending  the  ladder  which  reached  to  heaven.  The 
stone  was  carried  by  his  descendants  into  Egypt,  and  after 
many  migrations  it  found  its  way  to  Ireland,  where  it  served 
the  useful  purpose  of  testing  the  claims  of  rival  aspirants  for 
the  throne.  If  when  the  new  claimant  was  placed  upon  it, 
it  remained  silent,  it  proved  him  to  be  the  true  successor  ; 
if  it  groaned  aloud,  it  showed  him  to  be  a  pretender.  From 
Ireland  it  was  captured  and  carried  to  Scotland  where,  in 
840,  it  was  enclosed  in  a  chair  of  wood  and  placed  in  the 
chapel  of  the  abbey  at  Scone.  It  was  now  used  as  the  cor- 
onation seat  of  the  kings  of  Scotland.  One  cannot  but  re- 
gret its  removal  from  Ireland,  for  although  the  stone,  so  far 
as  we  know,  has  remained  silent,  that  unhappy  country  has 
not  been  quiet  since.  After  the  battle  of  Dunbar  in  1296, 
Edward  I.  had  himself  crowned  king  of  Scotland,  at  Scone, 
seated  upon  the  "  Sacred  Stone."  Returning  to  England, 
he  carried  the  stone  with  him,  and  had  it  placed  in  the  coro- 
nation chair  of  England,  where  it  has  since  remained.  Only 
once,  since  that  time,  has  it  been  outside  of  Westminster 
Abbey.  When  Cromwell  was  installed  as  Lord  Protector  in 
Westminster  Hall,  the  famous  chair  and  stone  were  brought 
from  the  abbey'for  the  occasion.  Probably  no  other  inci- 
dent in  its  history  so  fully  illustrates  the  importance  at- 
tached to  it.  Cromwell  could  afford  to  ignore  Westminster 
Abbey,  the  coronation  place  of  kings,  but  did  not  care  to  be 
installed  ruler  of  England  except  as  seated  on  the  Stone  of 
Scone.  There  is  another  coronation  chair,  very  similar  in 
appearance  to  the  ancient  one,  made  about  200  years  since, 


AMONG  THE  TOMBS.  93 

for  the  coronation  of  Mary,  wife  of  William  III.,  who  reigned 
jointly  with  her  husband. 

I  spent  some  time  in  the  various  chapels,  re-reading  the 
history  of  England,  in  the  presence  of  tombs  erected  by 
kings  and  queens  whose  names  I  had  been  accustomed  to 
associate  with  the  remote  ages  of  the  past.  Occasionally, 
through  an  open  door,  the  solemn  notes  of  the  organ,  ac- 
companying the  fresh  and  musical  voices  of  the  boy  choir 
could  be  heard,  and 

"  The  fretted  aisles  prolong 
The  distant  notes  of  holy  song, 
As  if  some  angel  spoke  again 
All  peace  on  earth,  good  will  to  men." 

To  put  in  fitting  words  the  thoughts  that  oppress  one  amid 
such  surroundings  is  impossible.  Jeremy  Taylor  has  well 
said,  "  A  man  may  read  a  sermon,  the  best  and  most  passion- 
ate that  man  ever  preached,  if  he  shall  but  enter  into  the 
sepulcher  of  kings." 

"  Think  how  many  royal  bones 
Sleep  within  these  heaps  of  stones! 
Here  they  lie—had  realms  and  lands, 
"Who  now  want  strength  to  lift  their  hands, 
Where,  from  their  pulpit,  sealed  with  dust, 
They  preach,  *  In  greatness  is  no  trust,' 
Here's  an  acre,  sown,  indeed, 
With  the  richest  royal  seed 
That  the  earth  did  e'er  suck  in 
Since  the  first  man  died  for  sin." 

I  was  much  impressed  by  the  deeply  religious  character  of 
the  old  tombs  in  the  chapels,  with  their  profusion  of  saints 
and  angels,  martyrs  and  confessors,  as  compared  with  the 
semi-paganism  of  the  modern  monuments  in  the  nave  and 
transepts.  Indeed  some  of  these  modern  memorials  seem 
out  of  place,  in  a  building  consecrated  to  Christian  wor- 
ship. While  figures  representing  Britain,  history,  fame, 
liberty,  death,  etc.,  may  be  permissable;  Neptune,  Apollo, 
Minerva  and  Hercules  seem  out  of  place.  Another  thing 
that  attracted  my  attention  was  the  peculiar  dress  of 


94  THOUGHTS  OF  HOME. 

the  modern  statesmen,  as  seen  in  the  nave  and  transepts. 
Why  a  deceased  Englishman  should  be  represented  in  a 
Roman  toga,  any  more  than  in  a  Highland  kilt,  I  cannot 
imagine.  Nor  can  I  admire  the  taste,  which,  on  their 
monuments,  strips  almost  naked  men  of  respectability, 
who  had  the  decency  to  wear  clothes  during  their  life- 
time. It  is  a  small  matter,  to  be  sure,  but  I  could  not 
help  speculating  on  how  the  brave  British  sailor,  Sir 
Cloudsley  Shovel,  came  by  his  Roman  helmet  and  sandals  ! 
Tired,  almost  bewildered  with  what  my  eyes  had  seen, 
and  the  historical  incidents  which  they  had  recalled,  I 
sat  down  in  a  seat  near  the  center  of  the  nave.  The 
sun's  rays,  passing  through  the  richly  painted  memorial 
windows,  fell  directly  upon  me.  Monuments,  tablets, 
statues,  busts,  historical  inscriptions,  and  emblematical 
groups  and  figures  seemed  to  entirely  surround  me.  I 
rested  my  head  on  the  seat  before  me,  and  soon,  by  some 
occult  chain  of  thought,  my  mind  was  directed  to  a  far 
different  scene.  I  remembered  that  this  iyth  of  August 
is  my  birthday,  that  this  afternoon  hour  is  noon  in  a 
far  off  home,  that  in  a  familiar  room  mother,  wife  and 
children  are  enjoying  the  mid-day  meal.  Do  they  think 
of  me  ?  Are  there  any  delicacies  on  the  table  to  remind 
the  children  that  this  is  papa's  birthday  ?  Can  the  baby 
talk  plainer,  and  will  he  know  me  \vhen  I  return  ?  A 
feeling  of  home-sickness,  a  moistness  of  the  eyes — when  the 
sharp  bang  of  a  door  aroused  me  to  my  surroundings,  and 
warned  me  that  the  hour  for  closing  the  abbey  had 
arrived.  The  attendant  seemed  surprised,  as  he  saw  a  visitor 
hastily  arise  and  wipe  his  eyes  before  leaving  the  abbey.  He 
did  not  know  how  far  from  Westminster,  and  all  that  makes 
it"  interesting  and  glorious,  was  the  stranger's  heart  and 
thoughts;  or  that  the  recollection  of  his  Michigan  home  and 
loved  ones  had  obliterated  for  the  time  being,  and  in  its 


VICINITY  OF  WESTMINSTER.  95 

sacred  presence,  the  venerable  pile  and  all  that  it  contained. 
On  leaving  Westminster  Abbey,  I  selected  the  corner  of 
King  and  St.  George's  streets  as  affording  the  finest  view  of 
the  abbey  and  its  surroundings.  South  of  the  abbey  is  the 
Dean's  Yard  and  in  front  of  it  a  fine  memorial  column  to 
the  Scholars  of  Westminster  School  who  died  in  the  Cri- 
mean war.  On  the  east  are  the  Parliament  Houses,  West- 
minster Hall  and  the  Law  Courts.  On  the  west  the  Royal 
Aquarium.  On  the  north  St.  Margaret's  Church,  Parliament 
Square,  and  the  Session  House — sometimes  called  West- 
minster Guildhall.  Following  the  line  of  St.  George's 
street  east,  is  Westminster  Bridge  leading  to  Lambeth.  It  is 
seldom  that  the  eye  is  permitted  to  take  in  such  a  scene. 
When  the  abbey  was  founded  its  site  was  on  an  island,  out- 
side the  walls  of  the  city,  surrounded  by  almost  impenetra- 
ble woods  and  extensive  marshes,  and  known  as  the  Isle  of 
Thorns.  Now  London  has  so  enlarged  its  borders  that  I 
stand  near  the  abbey  and  not  far  from  the  heart  of  the  larg- 
est, most  populous  and  busiest  commercial  center  in  the 
world. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

LONDON. 

The  Strand— Somerset  House— Law  Courts— Temple  Bar— Fleet  Street— Tem- 
ple Gardens— Ludgate  Hill— St.  Paul's  Church— Sa  bath  Services— Monu- 
ments—Crypt— Tombs  of  Wellington  and  Nelsoa— Whispering  Gallery-_ 
In  the  Ball— Paternoster  How— Newgate— St.  Sulpice's— London  Stone— 
The  Monument— Billingsgate— Tower  of  London— St.  Thomas'  Tower- 
White  Tower— Chapel  of  St.  John— Horse  Armory— Crown  Jewels- 
Tower  Palace — Prisoners  of  the  Tower — Beauchamp  Tower — Inscriptions 
—Chapel  of  St.  Peter— Ancient  Scaffold— Anna  Boleyn,  Lady  Jane  Grey, 
etc.— By  the  Traitor's  Gate. 

•  Returning  from  Westminster  to  my  starting  point  at  Char- 
ing Cross,  I  will  proceed  by  the  ancient  highway  of  the 
Strand,  Fleet  street,  and  Ludgate  Hill  to  St.  Paul's  Church. 
The  Strand  is  a  street  near  the  river  and  running  nearly 
parallel  with  it  ;  indeed  it  derives  its  name,  Strand,  from 
this  fact.  It  is  now  a  very  plain  and  substantial  business 
street,  modern  in  appearance,  and  with  but  little  taste 
observable,  either  in  the  stores  or  in  the  arrangement  of 
goods  in  the  windows.  It  was  formerly  a  street  of  palatial 
residences,  and  the  great  highway  between  the  royal  palace 
at  Westminster  and  the  royal  palace  on  the  Fleet,  as  well 
as  between  the  Tower  and  Westminster  Abbey. 

One  familiar  with  English  history  will  recall  many  a  cor- 
onation procession,  royal  wedding  party,  and  knightly  pa- 
geant that  has  passed  through  the  Strand;  and  how  many 
royal  and  noble  funerals  has  it  witnessed,  on  their  way  to 
Westminster,  since  the  coffin  of  good  Queen  Eleanor  rested 
at  Charing  Cross  !  It  was  here,  Charles  Lamb  said,  he 
"often  shed  tears  of  joy  at  such  multitude  of  life  ;"  and  a 
poet  of  the  seventeenth  century  speaks  of 


THE  STRAND.  97 

"  The  Strand,  that  goodly  throw-fare  betweene 
The  Court  and  City:    and  where  I  have  seen 
Well-nigh  a  million  passing  in  one  day." 

We  pass  Charing  Cross  station  and  hotel,  one  of  the 
largest  in  London,  and  soon  reach  on  our  right,  Somerset 
House,  on  the  site  of  an  old  palace  erected  by  Lord  Pro- 
tector Somerset.  The  present  building  is  about  a  hundred 
years  old  and  is  quadrangular  in  form,  with  an  inner  court 
in  which  is  a  very  ugly  statue,  said  to  represent  Father 
Thames.  "  Why  did  you  make  so  frightful  a  figure  ?"  said 
Queen  Charlotte  to  the  sculptor.  "Art  cannot  always  effect 
what  is  ever  within  the  reach  of  nature — the  union  of 
beauty  and  majesty  ;"  was  the  cunning  reply  of  the  artist. 
There  is  another  bronze  statue  in  this  court,  to  which  my 
attention  was  called  as  that  of  the  'Mast  king  of  America." 
To  my  surprise,  it  was  neither  Roscoe  Conkling  nor  Jay 
Gould — only  George  III.  The  river  front  of  Somerset 
House  is  about  eight  hundred  feet  in  length.  It  is  in  the 
Italian  style,  enriched  with  much  ornamentation,  and  is  one 
of  the  finest  works  of  the  kind  in  London.  The  building  is 
now  used  principally  for  government  offices. 

Nearly  opposite  Somerset  House  is  the  church  of  St. 
Mary's  Le  Strand,  occupying  the  site  of  the  old  Maypole. 
The  church  is  in  the  street,  narrowing  the  Strand  to  about 
half  its  usual  width.  St.  Clement's  Danes  Church  comes 
next,  and  like  St.  Mary's,  occupies  part  of  the  street.  Har- 
old Harefoote,  a  son  of  Canute,  and  other  Danes  are  buried 
here.  Dr.  Johnson  was  for  twenty  years  a  worshiper  at 
this  church,  and  there  is  a  tablet  to  his  memory  in  the  pew 
which  he  occupied  in  one  of  the  galleries.  At  the  termina- 
tion of  the  Strand  is  the  new  Courts  of  Law.  They  are 
immense  buildings,  partly  occupied  and  not  quite  com- 
pleted. The  Strand  front  is  about  thirty  rods  long  and  is 
partly  in  Fleet  street,  so  that  part  of  the  buildings,  includ- 
ing the  great  Campanile  or  Bell  Tower,  are  in  the  city,  the 


98  TEMPLE  BAR. 

remainder  being  in  the  "  shire."  These  buildings  are  in- 
tended to  accommodate  all  the  higher  law  courts  in  the 
city.  Instead  of  a  description  I  will  give  a  few  facts  as  to 
their  cost-,  etc.  They  cover  seven  acres,  and  contain  1,100 
apartments.  Parliament  paid  seven  and  a  quarter  million 
dollars  for  the  land  on  which  they  are  built,  and  which  was 
occupied  by  some  of  the  poorest  tenement  buildings  in  the 
city,  containing  however  some  places  of  much  historic  in- 
terest. The  contract  price  for  the  buildings  is  three  and  a 
half  million  dollars.  I  would  say  here  in  regard  to  all 
modern  buildings  in  London,  that  I  am  told  they  can  be 
built  for  about  half  what  it  would  cost  to  erect  similar  build- 
ings in  the  United  States.  The  50  to  100  per  cent,  steal  on 
some  of  our  public  buildings  is  not  reckoned  in  this  estimate. 
Temple  Bar,  was  a  gate  crossing  the  street  where  Strand 
ends  and  Fleet  street  begins,  and  served  to  indicate  where 
the  jurisdiction  of  the  city  of  London  ended.  The  city 
proper  terminated  at  Ludgate,  but  the  "  liberty,"  or  "  free- 
dom "  of  the  city  extended  to  Temple  Bar.  The  pictures 
of  the  old  Bar  represent  quite  an  imposing  structure,  with 
Corinthian  pilasters  and  statues  of  kings.  It  was  on  spikes? 
over  this  Bar,  that  the  head  and  limbs  of  persons  executed 
for  treason  were  exhibited.  Formerly  when  the  sovereign 
visited  the  city  from  the  palaces  of  Whitehall  or  Westminster, 
it  was  customary  to  keep  the  gates  at  Temple  Bar  closed  till 
admission  was  demanded,  when  the  gates  were  opened  and 
the  Lord  Mayor  surrendered  his  official  sword,  which  was 
graciously  returned  by  the  sovereign.  The  old  Bar  greatly 
obstructed  travel  on  so  important  a  thoroughfare,  and  was 
recently  removed  and  a  memorial  erected  on  its  site.  The 
meinoTial  is  about  six  by  eight  feet  and  about  thirty  feet 
high.  Its  position,  in  the  center  of  the  street,  furnishes  a 
refuge  for  persons  crossing  the  road.  As  a  work  of  art  it  is 
very  fine.  There  are  on  the  sides,  marble  life-size  statues 


FLEET  STREET.  99 

of  the  Queen  and  Prince  of  Wales,  and  medallions  and  bas- 
reliefs  containing  views  of  the  old  Bar  and  scenes  in  the 
life  of  the  present  queen. 

Having  passed  Temple  Bar,  we  are  in  Fleet  Street.  It 
derives  its  name  from  the  Fleet,  a  small  stream  which  used 
to  run  between  it  and  Ludgate  Hill,  emptying  into  the 
Thames  at  Blackfriars.  On  our  right  is  the  Temple  ;  so 
named  from  the  Knights  Templar,  who  occupied  the  place 
from  1184  until  their  estates  were  forfeited  by  the  pope.  It 
afterward  became  the  property  of  the  crown,  and  is  now 
held  in  trust  by  an  association  of  lawyers,  for  the  purpose  of 
lodging  and  educating  members  of  that  profession.  The 
gateway  on  Fleet  Street  was  built  by  Sir  Christopher  Wren. 
The  Middle  Temple  Hall  was  built  in  the.  sixteenth  century. 
Temple  Church  consists  of  two  parts — the  round  and  the 
choir.  The  round  is  the  ancient  church,  and  .was  built 
by  the  Knights  Templar  in  1185,  after  their  return  from  the 
second  crusade.  The  whole  edifice  has  been  restored, 
at  great  expense,  during  the  present  century,  and  is  now  in 
excellent  repair.  Back  of  the  Temple,  and  between  it  and 
the  Thames,  are  the  Temple  gardens.  One  is  surprised  to 
find  gardens  in  so  thickly  settled  a  locality,  but  these  are  of 
historic  interest.  It  was  here,  according  to  Shakespeare, 

that  the  War  of  the  Roses  originated  : 

PLANTAGANET— 

"  Let  him  that  is  a  true  born  gentleman, 
And  stands  upon  the  honor  of  his  birth. 
If  he  supposes  that  I  have  pleaded  truth 
From  off  this  briar  pluck  a  white  rose  with  me." 

SOMERSET— 

"  Let  him  that  is  no  coward  nor  no  flatterer, 
But  dare  maintain  the  party  of  the  truth, 
Pluck  a  red  rose  from  off  this  thorn  with  me. 
******* 

WARWICK  — 

"  This  brawl  to-day 

Grown  to  this  faction  in  the  Temple  Gardens 
Shall  send,  between  the  red  rose  and  the  white, 
A  thousand  souls  to  death  and  deadly  night." 


IOO  LUDGATE  HILL. 

We  now  pass  Chancery  Lane,  the  great  legal  thoroughfare 
of  London,  running  from  Fleet  Street  past  Lincoln's  Inn,  to 
Gray's  Inn.  The  Church  of  St.  Dunstan's-in-the-west  is  on 
our  left, — anew  church,  erected  on  the  site  of  a -very  old 
one.  We  pass  Fetter  Lane,  a  place  of  many  historic  associ- 
ations. In  the  Moravian  chapel  in  this  lane,  Richard  Bax- 
ter once  preached.  We  reach  Farringdon  Street,  where 
stood  the  Fleet  Prison,  and  through  which  ran  the  Fleet 
River.  On  part  of  the  prison  site  a  Memorial  Building  has 
been  erected,  in  memory  of  the  victims  of  religious  persecu- 
tion incarcerated  here — among  them  Bishop  Hooper,  and 
others,  who  were  burned  at  the  stake  for  opinion's  sake. 
After  the  abolition  of  the  Star  Chamber  the  Fleet  became  a 
debtor's  prison,  and  was  not  abolished  until  1846,  having  ex- 
isted for  eight  centuries.  Fleet  Street  is  known  as  the  cen- 
ter of  the  newspaper  business.  Here  are  the  offices  of  the 
Daily  Telegraph,  Daily  News,  Standard,  Morning  Advertiser, 
Daily  Chronicle,  London  Punch  and  a  very  large  number  of 
other  papers  and  periodicals. 

Fleet  Street  ends  at  Farringdon  Street,  and  is  continued 
to  St.  Paul's  Church  as  Ludgate  Hill.  The  crossing  at  Far- 
ringdon Street  is  called  Ludgate  Circus,  the  corners  of 
the  buildings  being  cut  off  so  as  to  form  a  circle.  This,  by 
the  way,  is  quite  common  in  all  parts  of  the  city,  and  ex- 
plains the  frequent  use  of  the  word  Circus.  The  name 
of  the  ancient  gate  which  stood  here — Ludgate — is  said  to  be 
derived  from  King  Lud,  66  B.  C.  From  Farringdon  Street 
to  St.  Paul's  the  ascent  is  somewhat  steep.  On  our  left 
is  the  Old  Bailey,  a  criminal  court ;  on  the  right  an  archway 
leads  by  a  narrow  lane  to  Printing  House  Square,  where  the 
king's  printing  house  stood  in  the  days  of  the  Stuarts, 
but  where  now  the  London  Times  is  printed  from  a  roll 
of  paper  300  miles  long,  at  the  rate  of  100  papers  per 
minute.  On  the  left  is  St.  Martin's  Church,  and  Stationers' 


ST.  PAUL  S  CHURCH.  IOI 

Hall,  where  books  are  registered  to  preserve  the  copyright ; 
"Entered  at  Stationers'  Hall,"  being  the  English  copyright 
mark.  We  are  now  enjoying  the  grandest  view  of  St.  Paul's 
which  can  be  obtained,  near  to  it ;  the  Campanile  towers  in 
front,  and  the  great  dome  being  in  full  view  as  we  as- 
cend Ludgate  Hill.  St.  Paul's  stands  at  the  head  of  the 
street,  and  on  the  highest  ground  in  the  old  city.  The 
streets  which  circle  around  it  on  each  side,  are  known  as  St. 
Paul's  Churchyard,  and,  like  all  the  streets  we  have  passed 
since  leaving  Charing  Cross,  are  used  for  business  purposes. 

We  have  now  walked  together  from  Westminster  Abbey  to 
St.  Paul's,  passing  through  Parliament  Street,  Whitehall, 
Strand,  Fleet  Street  and  Ludgate  Hill.  From  the  Abbey  to 
Charing  Cross  is  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  ;  Charing 
Cross  to  Temple  Bar  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  ;  Tem- 
ple Bar  to  St.  Paul's  a  little  over  half  a  mile.  Our  course 
has  been  near,  and  almost  parallel  with  the  Thames,  on  the 
outside  of  the  circle  here  made  by  the  river.  Near  our 
course  are  very  many  places  of  historic  interest.  The  streets 
through  which  we  have  passed  are  crowded  with  omnibuses, 
carts,  wagons  and  pedestrians.  Carriages  can  now  make  the 
distance  in  half  the  time  by  avoiding  the  crowded  thorough- 
fare, and  taking  the  way  by  the  Thames  embankment  on  the 
river-side,  or  the  Holborn  Viaduct  on  the  other. 

The  west  front  of  St.  Paul's  Cathedral,  as  seen  from  Lud- 
gate Hill,  is  the  best  view,  except  the  more  distant  one  from 
the  river,  or  Blackfriar's  Bridge.  The  first  St.  Paul's  on  this 
site  was  built  in  the  seventh  century,  and  burned  in  the 
tenth.  The  second  church,  known  as  "Old  St.  Paul's,"  was 
a  very  large  building,  being  690  by  130  feet,  with  a  spire  520 
feet  high.  It  is  famous  in  history  for  its  splendid  and  costly 
shrine,  and  its  valuable  plate  and  jewels.  Its  wealth  tempt- 
ed the  cupidity  of  the  lustful  and  unscrupulous  Henry  VIII., 
who  swept  the  accumulated  wealth  of  the  cathedral  into  his 


102  SABBATH    SERVICES. 

treasury,  probably  in  his  assumed  role  of  reformer.  During 
the  commonwealth,  old  St.  Paul's  was  used  as  a  stable,  and 
for  other  base  uses,  by  the  soldiers  of  Cromwell.  It  was 
burned  down  in  the  great  fire  of  1666.  A  few  relics  of  the 
old  church  are  shown  in  the  crypt  of  the  present  build- 
ing, mostly  statues  of  great  men,  exhumed  from  its  ashes. 
Among  them  is  a  well  preserved  statue  of  the  father  of  Lord 
Chancellor  Bacon. 

The  present  church  was  commenced  in  1675,  and  comple- 
ted in  1710.  Its  length  from  east  to  west  is  500  feet, 
the  wrest  front,  with  the  campanile  towers  on  each  side, 
being  180  feet  wide.  The  width  of  the  transept  is  250  feet, 
and  the  walls  are  about  100  feet  high.  The  entire  circumfer- 
ence of  the  church  is  2295  feet.  On  a  pedestal  at  the  west 
front,  is  a  marble  statue  of  Queen  Anne.  I  was  surprised  to 
find  on  the  pedestal,  not  only  Britannia  with  her  spear,  Gal- 
lia  with  her  crown,  Hibernia  with  her  harp,  but  America 
with  her  bow.  My  first  visit  to  St.  Paul's  was  on  Sun- 
day afternoon,  at  Divine  service.  The  first  impression  on 
entering  the  cathedral,  is  one  of  vastness  and  bareness. 
Everything  seems  large,  and  there  is  a  remarkable  lack  of 
decoration.  I  was  early  enough  to  secure  a  seat  near  the  pul- 
pit, and  under  the  vast  dome.  The  organ  is  of  great  power 
as  well  as  sweetness  of  tone,  and  Dr.  Stainer,  well  known  as 
a  musical  composer  and  writer,  is  organist.  The  solo  and 
quartette  singing  were  exquisite,  in  their  way,  but  I  heard 
not  a  word  that  was  sung.  The  delightful  harmony  echoed 
through  the  columns  and  arches  of  the  lofty  building,  but 
the  closest  attention  failed  me  to  catch  an  intelligible  word. 
An  English  gentleman  who  attended  service  with  me,  seem- 
ed to  admire  this  feature  of  the  music,  attributing  it  to 
the  vast  size  of  the  building.  I  stood  up  for  my  country, 
and  honestly  and  truthfully  assured  him  that  almost  any 
quartette  in  America  could  render  the  words  just  as  unintel- 


THE  MONUMENTS.  103 

ligibly  in  a  building  of  the  smallest  size.  The  sermon  was 
by  the  celebrated  Canon  Liddon,  one  of  the  London  preach- 
ers that  I  most  desired  to  hear.  While  the  preacher  held  the 
rapt  attention  of  those  in  hearing  distance,  there  was  great 
disorder  in  other  parts  of  the  building,  a  constant  stream  of 
sight-seers  passing  in  and  out  during  most  of  the  service. 

Over  the  north  door  is  a  tablet  to  the  memory  of  the  archi- 
tect who  planned  the  vast  structure.  Translated  from  the 
Latin,  it  reads  as  follows  : 

"  Underneath  is  buried  Sir  Christopher  Wren,  the  builder  of  this  church 
and  city,  who  lived  about  90  years,  not  to  himself,  but  to  the  public  good. 
Reader  if  thou  seeWst  his  monument  look  around.'1'' 

I  shall  not  attempt  a  description  of  the  monuments  in  St. 
Paul's  in  detail.  They  are  generally  very  elaborate,  and 
nearly  all  erected  by  order  of  parliament.  Those  of  Wel- 
lington, Nelson,  Rodney,  Howe,  Cornwallis  and  Abercromby, 
cost  over  $30,000  each,  and  there  are  fifty  others  that  cost 
from  $5,000  to  $25.000  each.  Here,  as  well  as  in  Westmins- 
ter Abbey,  there  is  a  wonderful  and  unaccountable  reverence 
manifested  for  cobwebs  and  dirt.  Indeed,  it  would  be  hard 
to  say  which  place  is  worse  in  this  respect.  The  authority 
that  shall  cause  a  general  dusting  and  cleaning  of  the  monu- 
ments, in  both  places,  will  earn  the  regard  of  all  cleanly  dis- 
posed people.  While  Westminster  abounds  in  monuments 
of  kings,  statesmen,  orators  and  poets,  St.  Paul's  commemo- 
rates mostly  the  deeds  of  England's  military  and  naval 
heroes.  Wellington,  Moore,  Napier,  Abercromby,  Cornwal- 
lis, Picton,  Hay,  Packenham,  and  others  not  so  well  known, 
represent  her  soldiers.  Nelson,  Collingwood,  Duncan,  Rod- 
ney. Napier,  St.  Vincent,  and  many  others  of  lesser  fame, 
represent  her  sailors.  There  are  also  monuments  to  Dr. 
Johnson,  Bishop  Heber,  Dr.  Donne,  Dean  Milman,  Bishop 
Middleton,  Sir  Astley  Cooper,  Sir  William  Jones,  John 
Howard,  Henry  Hallam,  and  others. 

The  central  area  under  the  dome  is  an  octagon,  formed  by 


104  THE  CRYPT. 

eight  massive  columns  or  piers,  about  thirty  by  forty  feet 
each.  Looking  up,  the  dome  presents  a  wonderfully  light 
and  beautiful  appearance.  Though  so  vast,  such  are  its  fine 
proportions  and  beautiful  coloring,  that  it  looks  like  a  huge 
parasol  spread  to  keep  out  the  sunlight.  The  woodwork  of 
the  entire  building  is  admirably  constructed.  The  carvings 
on  parts  of  the  choir,  are  said  to  be  the  finest  on  any  public 
building  in  London. 

Descending  into  the  crypt,  we  find  it,  like  the  body  of  the 
church,  divided  into  three  parts  by  immense  pillars.  In  the 
vaults  beneath  the  crypt,  and  near  each  other,  lie  the  re- 
mains of  some  of  England's  most  celebrated  painters  :  Rey- 
nolds, Barry,  Opie,  West,  Lawrence,  Fuseli  and  Landseer. 

Entering  the  enclosed  portion  of  the  crypt,  we  descend  a 
few  steps,  and  are  in  the  chamber  specially  prepared  as  a 
resting  place  for  the  remains  of  the  Duke  of  Wellington. 
The  sarcophagus  is  of  porphyry,  and  in  two  pieces  ;  the 
lower  part  containing  the  coffin,  and  the  upper  part  forming 
the  lid.  Its  immense  size  may  be  judged  of  by  the  fact 
that  it  weighs  seventeen  tons.  The  walls  of  this  chamber 
are  of  polished  Scotch  granite.  In  a  similar  apartment  ad- 
joining, rest  the  remains  of  Nelson,  with  those  of  Colling- 
wood  and  Northesk  on  either  side.  The  upper  part  of  the 
sarcophagus  of  Nelson  is  of  black  marble,  and  most  beauti- 
fully wrought  and  polished.  It  is  said  to  have  been  pre- 
pared by  Cardinal  Wolsey  for  his  own  tomb.  Passing  to  the 
west  end  of  the  crypt,  we  find  the  funeral  car  on  which  the 
remains  of  Wellington  were  brought  to  St.  Paul's,  drawn  by 
twelve  black  horses.  It  is  a  massive  affair,  cast  from  guns 
taken  in  actions  in  which  the  duke  was  engaged,  which  are 
enumerated  on  both  sides  of  thfe  magnificent  car.  The 
proximity  of  the  tombs  of  England's  most  honored  heroes, 
Wellington  and  Nelson,  recalls  the  lines  of  the  poet,  who 
puts  in  the  mouth  of  Nelson,  buried  first,  the  question  : 


THE    WHISPERING    GALLERY.  105 

"  Who  is  he  that  comes  like  an  honored  guest 
With  banner  and  with  music,  with  soldier  and  with  priest, 
With  a  Nation  weeping  and  breaking  on  my  rest  ?" 

And  the  reply  : 

"  Mighty  seaman,  this  is  he 
Was  great  by  land  as  thou  by  sea  ; 
Thine  Island  loves  the«  well,  thou  famous  man, 
The  greatest  sailor  since  the  world  began  ; 
Now,  to  the  roll  of  muffled  drums, 
To  thee  the  greatest  soldier  comes  : 
For  this  is  he 
Was  great  by  land  as  thou  by  sea." 

Provided  with  a  ticket  authorizing  my  ascerrt  to  the  top- 
most part  of  the  building,  I  ascend  to  the  library.  Strange 
to  say,  it  is  not  so  famous  for  its  books,  which  number  about 
10,000,  as  for  its  floor,  made  of  about  2,500  pieces  of  oak, 
beautifully  inlaid,  and  said  not  to  contain  a  single  nail 
or  peg.  I  next  reach  the  great  bell,  weighing  11,474 
pounds.  The  tone  is  lower  A,  and  is  remarkably  fine.  The 
clock  hammer  weighs  145  pounds,  and  is  raised  precisely  as 
in  clocks  of  the  present  time.  The  clapper  is  very  heavy, 
but  is  only  used  for  tolling  the  bell  on  the  death  of  a  member 
of  the  royal  family.  The  quarters  are  struck  on  smaller 
bells.  The  clock  has  two  faces,  west  and  south,  about  twen- 
ty feet  in  diameter.  The  minute  hand  is  ten  feet  long,  and 
weighs  seventy-five  pounds.  The  pendulum  is  sixteen  feet 
long,  with  a  weight  of  over  100  pounds  at  the  bottom,  and 
beats  once  in  two  seconds.  The  figures  I  give  will  indicate 
that  the  clock  must  be  of  large  size.  I  examined  it  with  a 
good  deal  of  interest,  and  admired  its  perfect  mechanism. 
It  was  made  in  1708,  and  I  cannot  see  that  any  important 
novelties  have  been  introduced  in  the  construction  of  tower 
clocks,  since  that  time. 

The  Whispering  Gallery  runs  entirely  around  the  base  of 
the  cupola,  and  has  an  ornamental  iron  railing  on  the  inside. 
Suicides  have  been  committed  from  this  gallery,  and  the  op- 
portunity to  make  a  sure  thing  of  it  is  excellent, — 215  feet  to 


106  IN    THE    BALL. 

the  floor  of  the  cathedral,  and  solid  marble  to  strike  upon. 
The  gallery  is  140  yards  in  circumference,  and  the  faintest 
whisper  against  the  wall  is  heard  on  the  opposite  side,  appa- 
rently louder  than  when  it  started.  From  this  gallery  is 
seen  to  best  advantage  the  paintings  in  the  dome,  represent- 
ing scenes  in  the  life  of  St.  Paul.  Most  readers  have  heard, 
from  the  pulpit  or  platform,  the  story  of  a  painter  on  a  high 
scaffold,  stepping  backward  to  admire  his  work,  and  saved 
from  falling  by  the  presence  of  mind  of  a  bystander,  who, 
seeing  his  danger,  seized  a  brush  and  daubed  his  picture, 
causing  him  to  spring  to  the  rescue.  The  guide  assured  me 
that  the  incident  occurred  here,  in  painting  these  scenes  on 
the  interior  of  the  dome,  and  that  Sir  James  Thornhill  was 
the  artist  whose  life  was  saved  by  the  marring  of  his  picture. 

I  next  reach  the  stone  gallery  surrounding  the  dome  on 
the  outside.  The  day  is  clear,  I  have  a  good  telescope,  and 
London,  with  its  noble  parks,  vast  buildings  and  busy  river, 
is  at  my  feet.  This  is  the  highest  point  usually  reached 
by  visitors ;  but  being  dared  to  ascend  to  the  ball  below  the 
cross,  at  the  top  of  the  dome,  I  accepted  the  challenge,  and 
after  some  hard  climbing  reached  my  destination,  350  feet 
from  the  pavement  below.  The  ball,  which  looks  small 
from  the  street,  is  said  to  weigh  6,000  pounds,  and  will  hold 
half  a  dozen  people.  From  the  inside  of  the  ball  nothing 
is  seen,  but  immediately  below  there  is  a  good  resting  place, 
from  which  a  good  view  may  be  obtained.  There  is  not  how- 
ever any  advantage  gained,  so  far  as  the  view  is  concerned, 
that  wrill  compensate  for  the  fatigue  incurred  in  reaching 
the  highest  point. 

In  the  vicinity  of  St.  Paul's  are  many  places  of  interest. 
When  a  small  boy  my  Catechism  and  Child's  Magazine  bore 
the  imprint  of  66  Paternoster  Row.  For  a  very  long  time 
this  quite  small  and  narrow  street  has  been  a  sort  of  literary 
headquarters.  It  runs  parallel  with  St.  Paul's  churchy  aid 


NEWGATE     STREET.  IQJ 

on  the  north,  with  but  a  single  row  of  buildings  between, 
extending  from  Cheapside  on  the  east  to  Stationer's  hall  on 
the  west.  It  is  still  almost  entirely  devoted  to  the  book 
publishing  trade.  The  offices  and  stores  have  a  low,  dingy 
appearance,  and  contain  but  few  books  except  those  pub- 
lished in  the  Row.  Indeed,  I  have  not  seen  in  London  what 
would  pass  in  America  for  a  first-class  retail  book  store. 
But  the  names  on  the  signs  in  Paternoster  Row  look  familiar 
— Bagsters,  Nelson,  Chambers,  Blackwood,  Longmans 
Religious  Tract  Society  etc. 

Newgate  street  commences  at  the  east  end  of  Paternoster 
Row,  and  following  it  in  a  westerly  direction,  passing  three 
or  four  streets,  we  reach  Newgate  prison  on  the  corner  of 
Old  Bailey  street.  It  is  a  dingy  old  building,  and  over  the 
door  is  tolerably  well  carved  in  stone  a  representation  of  the 
shackles  that  may  be  found  within.  In  front  of  this  prison 
was,  for  a  long  time,  the  site  of  the  gallows  on  which  London 
criminals  were  hanged.  I  am  told  that  on  such  occasions 
the  streets  in  the  vicinity  would  be  crowded  over  night  by 
the  vicious  and  criminal  classes,  to  secure  a  good  position 
from  which  to  view  the  execution  in  the  morning.  St.  Sul- 
pice's  Church,  near  by,  is  a  very  ancient  one,  and  the  tolling 
of  its  bell  during  an  execution,  with  the  dingy  surroundings 
of  the  prison,  made  a  fitting  background  for  the  scenes  of 
the  scaffold.  Tyburn  was  a  place  of  execution  before  New- 
gate, and  criminals  passed  St.  Sulpice's  in  the  "  Tyburn 
cart,"  on  their  way  to  execution.  Some  benevolent  indi- 
vidual, with  a  peculiar  idea  as  to  the  fitness  of  things,  pro- 
vided in  his  will  for  the  presentation  to  such  criminals,  from 
the  steps  of  St.  Sulpice's,  as  the  cart  passed,  a  bouquet  and 
a  pot  of  beer. 

Returning  toward  Cheapside  we  pass  Panyer  Alley,  run- 
ning from  Newgate  street  to  Paternoster  Row.  A  stone  is 
built  into  the  wall  of  one  of  the  houses,  representing  a  pan- 
6 


108  THE    LONDON    STONE. 

nier  or  basket  with  a  boy  on  the  top  ;  beneath,  and  near  the 
level  of  the  sidewalk  is  the  inscription  : 

"  When  you  have  sought  the  city  round, 
Yet  still  this  is  the  highest  ground." 

The  stone  bears  date  August  27,  1688.  At  the  junction  of 
Newgate  street  with  Cheapside,  on  the  corner  of  St.  Martin's 
Le  Grand,  is  the  general  post  office,  but  two  narrow  blocks  • 
from  St.  Paul's.  It  is  a  very  large  and  fine  building,  and  on 
the  corner  opposite  is  the  general  telegraph  office.  In  1870 
the  government  purchased  all  the  telegraph  lines  in  the 
kingdom  for  thirty  million  dollars,  and  they  have  since  been 
operated  in  connection  with  the  post  office  department. 

At  the  east  corner  of  St.  Paul's  Churchyard  we  enter  Can- 
non street  and  proceed  in  an  easterly  direction  toward  the 
Tower,  about  a  mile  distant.  We  reach  St.  Swithin's  Church 
in  the  south  end  of  which,  and  near  to  the  ground,  is  built 
in  the  wall  the  celebrated  London  Stone.  This  is  an  inter- 
esting relic  of  the  Roman  period.  It  was  the  central  mile- 
stone from  which  all  others  marked  distances,  like  the  mil- 
larium  in  the  Forum  at  Rome,  the  centre  from  which  all 
Roman  roads  radiated.  This  stone  is  frequently  mentioned 
by  historians  and  antiquarians,  and  Shakespeare  describes 
Jack  Cade  as  entering  Cannon  street  in  triumph  and  "  strik- 
ing his  staff  on  London  Stone,"  saying,  "  Now  is  Mortimer 
Lord  of  the  city.  And  here,  sitting  on  London  Stone,  I 
charge  and  command,  that  of  the  city's  cost  the  conduit  run 
nothing  but  claret  wine  the  first  year  of  our  reign." 

Passing  a  fine  statue  of  William  IV.,  we  turn  down  Fish 
street  on  the  right  and  are  at  the  monument,  designed  by  Sir 
Christopher  WTren,  and  built  to  commemorate  the  fire  of 
1666.  It  was  erected  by  order  of  parliament,  is  202  feet 
high  and  stands  just  202  feet  west  of  the  spot  in  Pudding 
Lane  where  the  fire  originated.  I  reached  the  top  by  a 
circular  stairway  on  the  inside  and  had  a  fine  view  of  the 


BILLINGSGATE.  109 

city.  The  monument  becoming  a  fashionable  place  for 
suicides,  the  gallery  at  the  top  is  covered  with  strong  iron 
bars.  The  great  fire  broke  out  on  Sunday  morning,  Sep- 
tember 3d,  1666,  and  burned  for  three  days,  destroying  eighty- 
nine  churches,  many  public  buildings,  400  streets — in  all 
13,200  buildings.  The  ruins  covered  436  acres,  leaving  in 
the  city  but  seventy-five  acres  of  buildings  unharmed,  and 
the  loss  was  estimated  at  sixty  million  dollars,  a  sum  then 
equal  in  purchasing  power  to  more  than  five  times  that 
amount  at  the  present  time.  All  the  church  spires  in  the 
burned  district,  including  the  dome  of  St.  Paul's,  are  painted 
black,  so  that  from  the  top  of  the  monument  one  can  trace 
the  course  of  the  fire. 

We  proceed  to  Lower  Thames  street,  near  the  river,  and 
now  follow  the  course  of  the  Thames.  We  soon  reach 
Billingsgate,  the  famous  fish  market,  said  to  derive  its  name 
from  Belin,  king  of  the  Britons,  who  A.  D.  400,  built  a  gate 
here.  This  place  is  famous  for  having  given  to  the  English 
language  the  word  Billingsgate — meaning  abusive  or  foul 
language.  I  heard  not  a  word  objectionable  on  moral 
grounds,  but  plenty  of  cockney  English.  Harper's  guide 
book  had  informed  me  that  the  proper  thing  for  visitors  is 
to  eat  a  fish  dinner  at  the  Three  Tuns  Tavern,  a  respectable 
hotel  close  to  the  market.  After  picking  my  steps  for  a 
short  time  through  the  market,  taking  in  its  many  sights,  and, 
in  as  limited  quantities  as  possible,  its  many  smells,  I 
declined  to  dine  at  the  Three  Tuns,  cured  of  all  hankering 
for  fish  during  the  remainder  of  my  stay  in  London.  Passing 
the  custom  house,  a  very  large  and  plain  building,  we  reach 
the  entrance  to  the  Thames  sub-way,  a  tunnel  under  the 
river  for  foot  travel,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  long,  and 
well  lighted  with  gas.  I  made  the  trip  at  a  cost  of  one  cent, 
and,  emerging  into  daylight  on -the  other  side,  was  surprised 
to  find  by  a  corner  street  sign  that  I  was  in  "  Tooley  street," 


IIO  THE    TOWER    OF    LONDON. 

celebrated  as -the  residence  of  the  "three  tailors,"  who 
passed  some  high  sounding  resolves.  For  six  cents  a  boat- 
man rowed  me  back  across  the  river,  landing  me  at  the  steps 
leading  to  the  Tower. 

Procuring  the  necessary  tickets  I  crossed  the  drawbridge 
leading  over  the  moat  to  the  Tower  of  London.  It  is  said 
that  a  fortification  existed  here  under  the  Romans,  but  the 
oldest  of  the  present  buildings  was  built  by  William  the 
Conqueror  in  1078.  Over  twelve  acres  are  enclosed  by  the 
moat  and  outer  walls,  and  there  are  nineteen  separate 
towers,  besides  barracks,  officers'  quarters,  chapels,  offices, 
armory,  etc.  We  enter  under  the  Middle  Tower,  and  pass 
the  By  ward  Tower  defending  the  entrance  by  the  drawbridge. 
Next  on  the  left  is  the  Bell  Tower  on  which  was  formerly 
mounted  the  alarm  bell  of  the  garrison.  Queen  Elizabeth, 
before  her  accession  to  the  throne,  is  said  to  have  been 
imprisoned  in  this  tower.  On  the  right  and  on  the  river's 
bank  is  St.  Thomas'  Tower,  and  under  it  the  Traitor's  Gate, 
which  the  poet  Rogers  calls 

"  That  gate  misnamed,  through  which  before, 
Went  Sidney,  Russel,  Raleigh,  Cranmer,  More." 

It  was  the  place  of  entrance  or  exit  for  prisoners  brought 
here  or  removed  by  water/  Opposite  St.  Thomas'  Tower  is 
the  Bloody  Tower,  through  which  is  the  principal  entrance 
to  the  inner  ward.  The  archway  by  which  we  enter  is  thirty 
feet  long  and  fifteen  feet  wide,  and  was  erected  in  1327  by 
Edward  III.  The  portcullis  and  gate  show  the  marks  of 
great  age.  It  was  in  the  Bloody  Tower  that  the  young 
princes,  Edward  V.,  and  the  Duke  of  York  were  murdered 
by  their  uncle,  the  Duke  of  Gloucester. 

The  White  Tower  was  built  in  1078,  and  is  a  splendid 
specimen,  of  Norman  architecture.  It  is  quadrangular  in 
form,  116  by  96  feet  on  the  ground  and  92  feet  high,  with 
turret  watch  towers  on  each  corner.  The  outside  walls  are 


ST.     JOHNS    CHAPEL.  Ill 

fifteen  feet  thick,  the  partition  walls  seven  feet  thick.  The 
rooms  on  the  first  floor  are  said  to  have  been  the  prison  of 
Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  in  which  he  wrote  the  history  of  the 
world.  Above  is  St.  John's  Chapel,  the  finest  specimen  of 
Norman  architecture  in  England.  "  This  is  consecrated 
ground,  please  remove  your  hats,"  said  the  attendant  as  we 
entered  the  chapel  "  consecrated  eight  centuries  ago,  and 
unchanged  in  form  or  in  substance  since."  The  stones  are 
well  dressed,  the  tool  marks  as  distinct  as  when  laid  in  the 
wall,  and  are  laid  in  regular  courses  with  a  thick  mortar 
joint,  the  mortar  being  as  hard  as  the  stone.  There  are  three 
windows  of  fine  stained  glass,  added  by  Henry  III,  in  1240. 
For  centuries,  and  during  all  the  periods  when  the  Tower 
was  used  as  a  palace,  this  was  the  court  chapel.  In  this 
tower  is  a  large  room,  used  as  a  council  chamber  when  kings 
held  court  here,  and  in  which  Richard  II.  abdicated  in 
favor  of  Henry  of  Bolingbroke,  and  from  which  Lord 
Hastings  was  ordered  to  instant  execution  in  front  of  St. 
Peter's  Chapel,  by  Protector  Richard,  Duke  of  Gloucester. 
There  is  also  a  large  banqueting  hall,  in  .which  the  suc- 
cessors of  William  the  Norman  entertained  their  guests. 
Both  council  chamber  and  banqueting  hall  are  now  used 
for  the  storage  of  small  arms,  the  arrangement  of  which 
shows  great  ingenuity.  Imagine  the  Prince  of  Wales'  wed- 
ding cake,  roses,  passion  flowers,  and  various  other  devices 
worked  out  by  an  ingenious  arrangement  of  muskets,  cut- 
lasses, bayonets,  daggers,  pistols,  etc.  But  it  is  not  all  mere 
display,  for  tier  upon  tier  and  closely  packed  in  wooden 
racks,  are  70,000  of  the  latest  pattern  of  Henry-Martini 
breech-loading  rifles. 

Attached  to  the  White  Tower  is  a  new  building  completed 
in  1827,  known  as  the  Horse  Armory.  It  is  about  150  feet 
long  and  35  feet  wide.  For  many  centuries  the  Tower  has 
been  used  as  a  storehouse  for  arms  and  accoutrements,  and 


112  THE    HORSE    ARMORY. 

in  this  building  may  be  found  specimens  of  war  material, 
from  the  period  of  the  Norman  conquest  to  the  present 
time.  In  the  days  of  the  first  Norman  king  of  England, 
defensive  armor  consisted  of  small  pieces  of  leather,  over- 
lapped like  fish  scales  and  sewed  stoutly  together.  About 
200  years  ago,  in  the  reign  of  William  III.,  defensive  armor 
was  discarded  entirely.  By  means  of  over  twenty  effigies, 
mostly  equestrian,  clad  in  the  armor  of  the  different  periods, 
and  arranged  according  to  date,  we  are  enabled  to  study 
the  various  changes  in  armor  and  weapons,  for  a  period  of 
eight  centuries.  The  Norman  shield  was  kite'  shaped,  a 
long  cutting  sword,  and  a  lance  with  small  flag  or  streamer 
being  the  weapons  in  common  use.  Chain  mail  was  intro- 
duced in  the  reign  of  Henry  III.,  about  1240,  and  consisted 
of  small  rings  interlacing  one  another  and  forming  a  con- 
nected garment.  In  the  reign  of  Edward  II.,  besides  the 
chain  armor,  plates  of  metal  were  worn  on  the  .arms  and 
legs.  In  Edward  III.'s  time  the  armor  became  splendid 
and  costly,  so  that  knights  that  might  have  been  made 
prisoners  were  ^slain  for  the  sake  of  their  armor.  In  the 
reign  of  Mary  we  are  told,  the  armor  was  so  heavy  that 
knights  unhorsed  could  not  rise  again.  The  history  of 
defensive  armor  bears  some  likeness  to  that  of  defensive 
armor  on  ships,  which  is  likely  soon  to  reach  the  point  when 
the  heaviness  of  the  iron  or  steel  plating  will  be  the  greatest 
peril  of  the  vessel,  and  suggests  the  query,  may  not  defensive 
armor  on  ships  be  abandoned  as  was  the  heavy  armor  of 
knights  ? 

Certain  suits  of  armor  are  exhibited  which  possess  especial 
interest  on  account  of  their  former  owners.  Among  them 
is  an  effigy  of  Henry  VIII.  on  horseback,  in  armor  worn  by 
that  king.  Also  a  suit  of  armor  for  both  man  and  horse, 
said  to  be  the  most  curious  and  costly  known,  made  in  Ger- 
many, and  presented  to  Henry  VIII.  on  his  marriage  with 


ANCIENT    ARMOR.  113 

Katharine  of  Aragon,  by  the  Emperor  Maximillian.  There 
is  also  a  matchlock  harquebuss  and  fowling  piece,  both 
breech-loaders,  belonging  to  the  king.  There  is  a  boy's 
suit  of  very  fine  armor  worn  by  Edward  VI.,  and  a  figure 
on  horseback  wearing  the  armor  of  Dudley,  Earl  of  Lei- 
cester, 1560.  There  are  also  equestrian  figures  wearing  the 
splendid  armor  of  Charles  I.  and  James  II.,  both  suits  being 
remarkable  for  their  fine  workmanship.  To  describe  the 
many  suits  of  fine  armor  here,  marking  their  many  peculiari- 
ties, from  the  thick  leather  garment  of  the  Norman  period 
to  the  heavy  armor  of  metal,  covering  the  entire  person,  in 
later  times,  would  require  a  knowledge  of  technical  terms 
which  I  do  not  possess.  The  variety  of  weapons  exhibited 
is  wonderful.  Among  them  are  two-handed  swords,  sabres, 
pikes,  maces,  glaves,  bills,  partizans,  pavices,  arbalests,  mili- 
tary flails,  cross  bows  with  winding  apparatus,  battle  axes, 
pole  axes,  tilting  lances,  spears,  daggers,  halberds,  harque- 
busses,  pistols,  etc.  Multiply  this  very  defective  list  by  the 
average  number  of  varieties  of  each,  and  you  have  material 
for  weeks  of  study. 

A  large  collection  of  fire-arms,  arranged  chronologically, 
and  showing  the  progress  of  invention  in  England  since  the 
time  of  James  II.  is  very  interesting.  It  contains  ancient 
breech-loaders,  also  revolving  barrels  and  revolving  cyl- 
inders, leading  one  to  wonder  what  was  left  for  American 
inventors,  who  seem  to  have  carried  off  all  the  glory,  to  dis- 
cover. There  are  thumb-screws,  bilboas,  and  other  instru- 
ments of  torture  used  in  the  Tower,  among  them  an  iron 
frame  for  confining  and  compressing  the  whole  person,  and 
known  as  "The  Devil's  Masterpiece."  Here  also  is  the 
famous  "heading  block"  and  axe,  used  last  at  the  execution 
of  Lord  Lovat  in  1747,  the  last  criminal  beheaded  in 
England.  There  are  numerous  interesting  trophies,  cap- 
tured by  the  armies  of  England  in  every  quarter  of  the  globe. 


114  THE    CROWN    JEWELS. 

and  very  many  relics  of  much  historical  interest  which  I 
omit. 

The  crown  jewels  of  England  have  been  kept  in  the  Tower 
for  over  six  centuries.  At  present  they  are  in  the  Wakefield 
Tower.  Ascending  a  narrow  stairs  one  is  at  once  ushered 
from  a  dark  passage  way  into  a  well  lighted  room,  in  the 
centre  of  which,  enclosed  in  a  very  large  glass  case  and  sur- 
rounded by  stout  iron  bars,  is  a  display  of  gold  and  jewels, 
such  as  I  never  expected  to  behold.  Fifteen  million  dollars 
is  the  modest  estimate  put  upon  this  show  case.  The 
crown  of  Queen  Victoria  is  a  cap  of  purple  velvet  enclosed 
in  hoops  of  silver  and  surmounted  by  a  ball  and  cross. 
It  fairly  glows  with  precious  stones.  In  the  centre  of  the 
cross  is  the  "inestimable  sapphire,"  and  in  the  centre  of  the 
crown  is  a  heart-shaped  ruby  worn  by  the  Black  Prince  and 
which  shone  in  the  helmet  of  Henry  V.  at  the  battle  of 
Agincourt.  The  cost  of  this  crown  is  known  to  have  been 
about  $600,000.  St.  Edward's  crown  is  of  the  well-known 
form  represented  on  the  coins  of  the  realm.  It  is  made  of 
gold,  and  is  ornamented  with  precious  stones.  The  Prince 
of  Wales'  crown  is  formed  of  pure  gold,  unadorned  with 
jewels.  The  ancient  queen's  crown  was  worn  at  coronations 
by  the  queen  consort.  The  queen's  diadem  was  made  for 
the  consort  of  James  II.  St.  Edward's  staff  is  of  beaten 
gold  about  five  feet  long  ;  the  orb  at  top  is  said  to  contain 
a  portion  of  the  true  cross.  It  is  carried  before  the  sov- 
ereign at  coronations.  The  attendant  assured  me  that  while 
the  sceptres  are  hollow  and  comparatively  light,  this  staff  is 
solid  and  weighs  over  seventy  pounds.  There  are  two 
royal  sceptres  of  gold  ornamented  with  precious  stones.  At 
the  top  of  one  is  a  cross,  on  the  other  a  dove,  and  both  are 
held  by  the  sovereign  at  coronations.  The  queen's  sceptre 
is  quite  small,  but  contains  many  precious  stones.  There  is 
a  richly  wrought  golden  sceptre  supposed  to  have  been 


THE    TOWER    PALACE.  115 

made  for  the  queen  of  William  III.  There  are  three  swords 
borne  before  sovereigns  at  coronation,  also  the  bracelets, 
spurs,  and  annointing  vessel  and  spoon  used  on  such  occa- 
sions. The  golden  salt  cellar  is  a  model  of  the  White 
Tower  and  of  beautiful  workmanship.  A  baptismal  font 
used  at  the  christening  of  royal  children,  dishes,  spoons,  and 
a  service  of  sacramental  plate  all  of  gold,  form  the  remainder 
of  the  crown  jewels.  In  a  separate  case  are  the  insignia  of 
the  orders  of  the  Garter,  Bath,  Thistle,  Star  of  India.  St. 
Michaels,  and  the  Victoria  cross,  all  of  beautiful  workman- 
ship. 

But  the  Tower  has  been  not  only  a  fortress,  an  armory,  a 
treasure  house — but  a  palace,  a  prison  and  place  of  execu- 
ticn  as  well.  It  was  for  several  centuries  used  as  a  residence 
and  court  by  the  English  kings.  The  Tower  palace  with  its 
halls  and  galleries  occupied  the  south-east  part  of  the 
grounds,  fronting  on  the  river,  and  connected  with  the 
central  White  Tower,  which  contained  the  council  room, 
banqueting  hall  and  St.  John's  chapel.  The  civil  wars  and 
commotions  for  several  centuries  after  the  building  of  the 
Tower  made  it  a  desirable  residence  as  affording  security 
and  protection  to  the  sovereign.  Extensive  additions  and 
repairs  were  made  by  Henry  III.,  who  gave  to  it  much  of 
its  grandeur  and  importance.  The  chapel  of  St.  John's  was 
especially  cared  for,  and  was  the  scene  of  many  a  pompous 
religious  ceremonial  during  his  reign.  The  festivities  of 
the  court  by  the  custom  of  the  times  included  tournaments, 
and  on  such  occasions  the  chivalry  of  Europe  were  some- 
times invited  to  participate.  The  splendid  gilt  armor  and 
huge  tilting  lances,  exhibited  in  the  armory,  have  shone  in  the 
lists  when  the  Tower  grounds  was  filled  with  the  beauty 
and  chivalry  of  England.  Here,  Henry  VIII.  gave  a  royal 
reception  to  each  of  his  queens  on  their  marriage.  The 
custom  of  royal  coronation  processions  through  the  streets 


Il6  THE    TOWER    AS    A    PRISON. 

of  London  from  the  Tower  to  Westminster  Abbey  was  kept 
up  till  the  time  of  Charles  II.,  and  the  reader  of  English 
history  will  recall  many  interesting  descriptions  of  the  pomp 
and  show  incident  to  such  occasions. 

During  the  wars  of  Edward  I.,  Edward  II.  and  the  Black 
Prince,  the  Tower  afforded  quarters  for  the  kings  and 
knights  taken  prisoners  in  war.  Baliol  and  David  Bruce, 
kings  of  Scotland,  Prince  James,  William  Wallace,  and  King 
John  of  France,  with  many  of  his  nobles,  were  prisoners 
here.  The  Tower  was  for  centuries  used  as  a  prison  for 
persons  charged  with  treason,  an  offense  easily  charged  and 
under  the  custom  of  the  times  as  easily  proved.  The  pro- 
ceedings were  ordered  by  the  king,  and  were  in  secret.  The 
accused  was  not  permitted  to  confront  his  accusers,  or  hear 
the  witnesses  testify  against  him.  The  witnesses,  if  unwill- 
ing to  give  the  desired  testimony,  were  taken  to  a  dungeon 
of  the  Tower,  stretched  on  the  rack  and  statements  wrung 
from  them  under  torture  written  down,  and  produced  in 
court  as  evidence  against  the  accused.  The  many  quarrels 
as  to  the  succession  caused  the  spilling  of  royal  blood,  some- 
times without  even  the  color  of  law,  while  the  adherents  of 
such  royal  victims  were  shown  no  mercy.  In  1418,  under 
Henry  V.,  a  different  class  of  persons  began  to  be  im- 
prisoned in  the  Tower.  In  that  year  Lord  Cobham  was 
arrested  on  a  charge  of  "  heresy,"  an  epithet  which  it  is  as 
easy  for  error  to  apply  to  truth,  as  truth  to  error,  for  his 
supposed  acceptance  of  the  doctrines  of  Wycliffe.  He  was 
condemned,  and  burned  at  Smithfield  as  a  heretic,  and 
for  nearly  two  centuries  capital  punishment  for  opinions 
sake  was  not  uncommon  in  England.  Many  suffered  for 
the  so-called  heresy  of  refusing  to  reject  the  Pope  and  ac- 
cept the  brutal  and  profligate  Henry  VIII.  as  head  of  the 
English  church,  or  for  refusing  to  comply  with  the  condi- 
tions of  an  act  passed  during  his  reign,  and  frankly  entitled, 


THE    DEVEREUX    TOWER.  117 

"  An  act  abolishing  diversities  of  opinion  !"  Others  were 
victims  of  the  terrible  persecution  under  Mary  when  the 
prisons  of  the  Tower  and  the  fires  of  Smithfield  were  relied 
on,  to  prevent  the  spread  of  the  doctrines  of  the  Refor- 
mation. 

Near  to  the  north-west  angle  of  the  fortifications  is  the 
Devereux  Tower  named  for  Robert  Devereux,  Earl  of  Es- 
sex, a  courtier  and  "  favorite  "  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  con- 
demned to  death  on  a  charge  of  plotting  against  the 
queen's  life.  Readers  of  English  history  will  remember 
the  long  struggle  on  the  part  of  the  queen,  "  between  re- 
sentment and  affection,"  before  she  signed  his  death 
warrant.  It  is  a  pretty  theme  for  the  historian  and  novel- 
ist, and  they  have  made  the  most  of  it  ;  and  yet  the 
ordinary  man,  to  this  day,  fails  to  perceive  that  it  was  the 
correct  thing  for  this  maiden  queen  to  be  always  having  an 
affection  for  some  good  looking  "favorite"  of  the  male 
persuasion.  Essex  was  beheaded  on  the  green  in  front 
of  St.  Peter's  church.  The  Bowyer  Tower  was  formerly 
the  residence  of  the  Master  Provider  of  the  King's  Bows. 
It  was  in  this  tower  that  the  Duke  of  Clarence,  brother 
of  Edward  IV.,  was  drowned  in  a  butt  of  Malmsey  wine 
in  1474.  The  Brick  Tower  is  said  to  have  been  the 
prison  of  Lady  Jane  Grey.  My  previous  reading  had  as- 
signed this  noble  prisoner  to  the  Beauchamp  Tower,  but 
I  am  assured  that  no  ladies  were  ever  imprisoned  in  that 
tower,  and  that  the  most  careful  search  has  failed  to  find 
any  mementoes  that  would  certainly  indicate  what  room 
she  occupied  while  a  prisoner.  Fox,  in  his  Book  of  Mar- 
trys,  says  she  traced  with  a  pin  on  the  walls  of  her  prison 
these  words  : 

"  To  mortals'  common  fate  thy  mind  resign, 
My  lot  to-day  to  morrow  may  be  thine." 

The  most  dilligent  search    has    failed  to  discover  this  in- 


Il8  THE    BEAUCHAMP    TOWER. 

teresting  inscription.  The  Beauchamp  Tower  is  about  the 
center  of  the  western  line  of  the  inner  ward,  and  derives  its 
name  from  Robert  Beauchamp,  Earl  of  Warwick,  impris- 
oned in  this  tower  in  the  reign  of  Richard  II.,  A.  D.  1397. 
It  is  two  stories  and  on  each  floor  is  a  room  about  twenty 
feet  square,  with  smaller  rooms  or  cells  adjoining.  The 
walls  are  about  fifteen  feet  thick  and  the  cells  are  arched 
over  with  heavy  stone  work,  giving  it  a  wonderfully  strong 
and  prison  like  appearance.  Near  to  the  cells  on  the  first 
floor  is  cut  in  the  wall  the  name  of  "  Marmaduke  Nevile  "  a 
prisoner  here  for  supporting  the  claim  of  Mary,  Queen  of 
Scots,  to  the  English  throne.  Near  to  this  is  a  large  carv- 
ing of  the  crucifix,  a  bleeding  heart,  a  skeleton  and  the 
word  "  Peverel."  Over  the  fireplace  is  an  interesting  auto- 
graph of  Philip  Howard,  Earl  of  Arundel,  condemned  to 
death,  but  who  died  here  before  sentence  was  executed.  On 
the  right  side  of  the  fire-place  is  a  large  sculpture  executed 
by  John  Dudley,  Earl  of  Warwick.  With  his  father  and 
two  brothers  he  \vas  imprisoned  on  a  charge  of  treason, 
for  attempting  to  make  Lady  Jane  Grey,  wife  of  his  young- 
est brother,  Queen.  The  names  of  "  Arthur  Poole  "  and 
"  Edmund  Poole,"  occur  frequently  on  the  walls.  They 
were  convicted  of  treason  for  conspiring  to  place  Mary, 
Queen  of  Scots,  on  the  throne,  but  were  not  executed, 
they  died  in  prison  ;  these  inscriptions  are  all  of  a  re- 
ligious character.  Near  one  of  the  cells  is  the  word 
IANE,  the  royal  name  of  Lady  Jane  Grey,  cut  by  the 
hand  of  her  husband,  Lord  Guilford  Dudley.  There  is 
also  the  autograph  of  "  Thomas  Fitzgerald,"  executed  in 
1539  for  treason,  on  account  of  a  rebellion  in  Ireland.  Of 
course  I  give  but  a  few  of  the  many  inscriptions  on  these 
prison  walls,  and  they  possess  a  wonderful  interest  as  the 
last  mementoes  of  noble  and  accomplished  men,  many 
of  whom  knelt  before  the  headsman  centuries  ago. 
•  l 


THE  CHAPEL  OF  ST.  PETER.  119 

The  chapel  of  St.  Peter  stands  near  the  north-west 
corner  of  the  fortifications,  and  was  built  in  1272  by 
Edward  I.  It  is  sixty-six  by  fifty-four  feet,  and  was  the 
chapel  of  the  prisoners,  as  St.  John's  was  the  chapel  of 
the  court.  Macauley  says  of  it  :  "  There  is  no  sadder 
spot  on  the  earth  than  this  little  cemetery.  Hither  have 
been  carried,  through  successive  ages,  by  the  rude  hand 
of  jailors,  without  one  mourner  following,  the  bleeding 
relics  of  men  who  have  been  the  captains  of  armies,  the 
leaders  of  parties,  the  oracles  of  senates,  and  the  orna- 
ments of  courts."  A  memorial  tablet  at  the  entrance  gives 
the  names  of  thirty-four  persons  of  historic  note  buried 
here.  Among  them  are  John  Fisher,  beheaded  in  1535, 
by  Henry  VIII. ,  for  refusing  to  take  the  oath  of  supre- 
macy, and  Sir  Thomas  More,  beheaded  a  month  later 
for  the  same  offense.  Queen  Anne  Boleyn  and  her  brother, 
George  Boleyn,  beheaded  in  1536,  Cromwell,  Earl  of  Es- 
sex, Margaret  Plantaganet,  Queen  Catharine  Howard, 
Lord  Thomas  Seymour,  Lord  Protector  Somerset,  Dukes 
of  Northumberland,  Suffolk  and  Norfolk,  Lady  Jane  Grey, 
Earl  of  Eessex,  Duke  of  Monmouth,  and  Lords.  Kilmar- 
nock,  Balmerino  and  Lovat.  All  these  were  beheaded,  and 
their  dissevered  bodies  lie  in  the  church  and  cemetery 
of  St.  Peter's.  Others  rest  here  who  pined  away  and  died 
in  prison,  or  were  tortured  to  death  in  the  dungeons  of 
the  Tower. 

In  the  open  square,  and  near  to  St.  Peter's,  is  the  site  of 
the  ancient  scaffold.  This  open  space  was  formerly  covered 
with  grass,  and  known  as  Tower  Green.  The  spot  is 
marked  by  an  iron  railing  enclosing  a  stone,  with  this 
inscription  :  "  Site  of  the  -Ancient  Scaffold.  On  this  spot 
Queen  Anne  Boleyn  was  beheaded,  May  i9th,  1536."  It  is 
a  beautiful  day,  and  I  sit  down  by  the  iron  railing.  I  am 
surrounded  by  high  walls  and  gray  Norman  towers.  My 


I2O  ANNE    BOLEYN. 

explorations  of  the  towers  and  dungeons,  armories  and 
treasure  house,  aided  me  in  recalling  vividly  the  scenes  that 
had  transpired  in  this  old  fortress.  The  inscription  on  the 
stone  reads,  "May  ipth,  1536."  Three  years  before,  on  a 
beautiful  May  day,  Anne  had  arrived  at  the  Tower  from 
Greenwich,  escorted  by  the  Lord  Mayor  of  London  and  his 
civic  train,  and  landed  "amidst  the  great  melody  of  trump- 
ets and  divers  instruments,  and  a  mighty  peal  of  guns." 
Next  day  her  gay  marriage  procession  passed  from  the 
Tower  to  Westminster  Abbey,  Anne,  "  arrayed  in  silver  tis- 
sue, and  a  mantle  of  the  same  arrayed  in  ermine,  her  dark 
tresses  flowing  down  her  shoulders  and  her  head  encircled 
with  precious  rubies."  On  the  spot  enclosed  by  the  little 
railing  by  which  I  sit,  three  years  later,  Anne  with  her  own 
hand  took  the  coifs  from  her  head,  putting  on  a  linen  cap, 
and  saying:  "Alas,  poor  head,  in  a  very  brief  space  thou 
wilt  roll  in  the  dust  of  the  scaffold."  Kneeling  down,  one 
of  the  ladies  covered  her  eyes  with  a  bandage  ;  "  and  then 
they  withdrew  themselves  a  little  space  and  knelt  down  over 
against  the  scaffold,  bewailing  bitterly  and  shedding  many 
tears,  and  thus,  without  more  to  say  or  do,  was  her  head 
stricken  off  ;  she  making  no  confession  of  her  fault,  and  only 
saying :  *  O  God  have  pity  upon  my  soul,'  and  one  of  the 
ladies  then  took  up  her  head,  and  the  others  the  body,  and 
covering  them  with  a  sheet,  did  put  them  into  a  chest  which 
then  stood  ready,  and  carried  them  to  the  church  which  is 
within  the  Tower."  One  cannot  help  admiring  the  devotion 
of  her  women,  which  nerved  them  to  stay  with  her  to  the 
last,  and  care  for  her  dishonored  remains.  A  gunner  stood 
by  a  loaded  cannon  on  the  wall  near  by,  lint-stock  in  hand, 
and  as  the  sword  of  the  executioner  fell  the  report  of  the 
cannon  informed  listening  London  that  a  royal  head — the 
head  of  a  woman — had  fallen  on  the  scaffold.  The  king, 
arrayed  in  a  hunting  suit,  impatiently  awaited  the  signal 


LADY    JANE    GREY.  121 

gun,  and  as  the  booming  cannon  announced  the  murder  ac- 
complished, jumped  into  the  saddle  and  rode  with  all  haste 
to  the  residence  of  Jane  Seymour,  to  whom  he  was  married 
the  next  day. 

And  still  another  queen  of  England,  wife  of  the  same 
monarch,  was  executed  here, — Catherine  Howard,  with  her 
attendant,  Lady  Rochford.  Later  still,  the  aged  Margaret 
Plantagenet,  Countess  of  Salisbury,  was  found  guilty  of 
treason,  and  beheaded  on  the  same  spot.  Refusing  to  stoop 
or  place  her  head  on  the  block,  "as  traitors  do,"  she  was 
seized  by  her  gray  hair  and  forcibly  held  over  the  block  till 
executed. 

Lady  Jane  Grey  was  executed  here  during  the  reign  of 
Mary,  on  a  charge  of  treason.  Her  husband,  Lord  Guilford 
Dudley,  had  been  executed  outside  the  walls,  on  Tower  Hill, 
the  same  day.  From  her  window  she  saw  him  walk  to  the 
scaffold,  and  afterwards  saw  his  body  taken  out  of  a  cart — 
his  head  in  a  cloth.  Gardner  had  begged  of  Mary  that  the 
lives  of  two  persons  so  young  and  so  innocent,  might  be 
spared.  But  she  was  not  likely  in  that  reign  to  be  pardoned 
who  could  say,  a  few  days  before  her  death  :  "  I  ground  my 
faith  upon  God's  word  and  not  upon  the  church.  For  if 
the  church  be  a  good  church  the  faith  of  the  church  must 
be  tried  by  God's  word,  and  not  God's  word  by  the  church." 
And  so  the  historian  says  she  went  forth  to  die,  ''her  coun- 
tenance nothing  abashed,  neither  her  eyes  anything  moist- 
ened with  tears."  For  over  three  centuries  the  fate  of  this 
victim  of  the  ambition  of  others  has  stirred  the  sympathy  of 
all  true  hearts,  and  nothing  could  be  added  that  would  bet- 
ter the  simple  narrative  of  the  times  :  "  She  tied  the  kerchief 
about  her  eyes  ;  then,  feeling  for  the  block,  said  :  '  What 
shall  I  do  ?  Where  is  it  ?'  One  of  the  standers  by  guided 
her  thereto,  she  laid  her  head  down  upon  the  block,  and 
stretched  forth  her  body,  and  said  :  '  Lord,  into  thy  hands  I 


122  THE      TRAITORS    GATE. 

commend  my  spirit,'  and  so  she  ended."  The  only  other 
execution  on  Tower  Green,  was  that  of  the  Earl  of  Essex, 
in  the  reign  of  Elizabeth,  already  noticed ;  the  ordinary 
place  of  execution  was  on  Tower  Hill,  outside  the  walls. 

Before  leaving  the  Tower  I  visited  again  the  Traitors'  Gate, 
by  the  river's  side,  and  read  the  long  list  of  persons  who 
had  passed  through  it  accused  of  crime,  or  as  condemned 
criminals.  The  long  array  of  royal  and  knightly  names  did 
not  particularly  impress  me,  but  that.more  noble  and  kingly 
band,  condemned  for  obeying  the  dictates  of  conscience — 
how  they  stand  before  me  !  I  see  Cobham  and  Cranmer, 
and  Latimer  and  Ridley,  passing — erect,  yet  conscious  of 
their  impending  doom.  And  the  venerable  John  Fisher, 
and  Sir  Thomas  More,  and  Archbishop  Laud,  too,  just  as 
conscientious  in  adhering  to  the  supremacy  of  the  pope. 
Many  incidents  occur  to  me  ;  the  willfulness  of  the  Princess 
Elizabeth,  afterwards  queen,  and  her  sulky  stubbornness 
when  compelled  to  pass  the  gate  ;  the  willing  haste  of  the 
infamous  Judge  Jeffries,  glad  to  escape  the  mob  that  would 
have  torn  him  to  pieces;  and,  most  impressive  of  all,  the 
parting  scene  between  Sir  Thomas  More  and  his  daughter, 
so  often  described  in  history,  and  so  frequently  illustrated, 
the  old  Traitors'  Gate  invariably  serving  as  the  background 
for  the  picture.  I  cross  the  drawbridge,  stepping  again  in- 
to the  world  of  the  nineteenth  century,  and  try  to  realize 
that  I  am  within  a  mile  of  the  busiest  business  centre  of  the 
commercial  world  of  to-day  ;  and  brushing  away  my  dreams 
of  the  dim  ancT  shadowy  past,  thank  God  that  during  all 
these  centuries  the  world  has  been  growing  better. 


I23 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

PARIS. 

A  Channel  Steamer— Dieppe -Normandy— Arrival  in  Paris— An  Election— 
Place  de  la  Concorde— Dinner— A  Traveler's  French— Sunday  Night  in 
Pai'is— The  New  Opera  House— Grand  Foyer— The  Madelaine— Hotel  des 
Invalides— Arc  de  Triumphe— Buttes  Chaumont— Pere  la  Chaise— Cathed- 
ral of  Notre  Dame— The  Pantheon— Parisian  Churches— The  Music— In  the 
Streets— An  American  Girl. 

The  inducement  of  pleasant  company  led  me  to  join  an 
excursion  party  to  Paris,  leaving  many  very  interesting 
places  in  London  to  be  visited  on  my  return  from  the  conti- 
nent. We  left  London  on  Saturday  evening,  by  railroad,, 
for  Newhaven,  where  the  steamer  is  taken  for  Dieppe. 
The  accomodations  furnished  on  the  Channel  steamer 
were  of  the  most  limited  kind.  There  was  probably  about 
comfortable  standing  room  in  the  cabin  for  the  first-class 
passengers.  Three  cushioned  shelves  on  the  sides  furn- 
ished a  resting  place  for  the  first  comers,  who  rushed  in 
and  took  possession  ;  the  remainder  occupied  the  tables 
and  floor.  As  soon  as  it  was  daylight  I  escaped  on  deck, 
finding  hardly  room  for  my  feet  as  I  stepped  over  the 
sleepers.  The  sea  was  quite  smooth  and  I  observed  no 
sea-sickness  ;  had  it  been  otherwise  the  consequences 
would  have  been  disagreeable  in  the  crowded  condition 
of  the  cabin. 

The  French  coast  in  the  vicinity  of  Dieppe  is  rocky  and 
bare,  and  has  a  white,  chalky  appearance.  We  landed  on 
a  quay  by  the  railroad  station.  The  formality  of  passing 
the  customs  was  gone  through  with  by  the  owners  of 
trunks,,  but  I  walked  through  the  customs  office,  satchel 
7 


124  DIEPPE. 

in  hand,  unquestioned.  There  was  some  hitch  in  the  rail- 
road arrangements  affording  me  a  couple  of  hours  to  see 
the  ancient  town  of  Dieppe.  It  was  formerly  the  principal 
port  of  France,  now  it  is  a  fishing  town  with  a  popula- 
tion of  about  18,000.  It  is  resorted  to  as  a  watering  place, 
and  the  new  part  of  the  city  consists  largely  of  hotels,  board- 
ing houses  and  bathing  establishments.  The  old  city 
is  the  dirtiest  and  worst  smelling  I  have  ever  been  in. 
The  gutters  are  in  the  center  of  the  streets,  and  seem  to  be 
the  receptacle  of  everything  that  can  smell  bad  about  a 
house.  The  first  group  that  attracted  my  attention  wras 
seven  women  and  four  men  towing  a  vessel  out  of  dock; 
the  women  took  the  lead  on  the  rope  and  seemed  to  do 
pretty  much  all  the  pulling.  They  all  wore  heavy  shoes  and 
kept  time  with  their  feet,  taking  short,  quick  steps,  and 
making  quite  a  noise.  Although  Sunday  morning,  all  the 
places  of  business  were  open  and  all  kinds  of  work  going 
on,  just  as  if  it  was  a  week  day.  I  managed  to  get  an 
inside  view  of  the  old  cathedral,  which  was  open  for 
worship,  and  dates  from  the  thirteenth  century.  A  great 
deal  of  the  work  of  all  kinds  seems  to  be  done  by  the 
women,  who  all  wear  the  high  Normandy  caps.  I  am  told 
that  it  is  a  part  of  their  religion  that  these  caps  should  be 
white,  clean  and  stiffly  starched.  As  a  class  they  are  the 
homeliest  women  I  ever  set  my  eyes  on. 

We  leave  Dieppe  for  Paris,  two  hours  behind  time,  and 
in  about  an  hour  reach  the  ancient  city  of  Rouen,  the  fifth 
largest  town  in  France,  having  a  population  of  about  150,- 
ooo.  It  has  a  splendid  cathedral,  containing  a  tomb  in 
which  is  buried  the  heart  of  Richard  Cceur  de  Lion,  and  a 
fine  monument  to  Joan  of  Arc,  erected  on  the  spot  where 
she  suffered  death  by  burning.  After  leaving  Rouen  the 
country  becomes  more  hilly  and  picturesque,  and  we  several 
times  cross  the  Seine,  which  must  be  a  very  crooked  river. 


ARRIVAL    IN    PARIS.  125 

Small  villages  are  numerous,  but  look  old  and  generally  some- 
what dilapidated.  Indeed  until  we  pass  out  of  Normandy 
we  see  but  few  new  buildings  ;  the  farm  houses  especially, 
built  of  stone,  with  tile  roofs,  and  nearly  all  out  of.  repair, 
look  ancient.  The  principal  places  we  pass  are  Vernon, 
Mantes  and  Poissy.  As  we  near  Paris,  fine  residences  in 
modern  style,  with  well  kept  grounds  and  handsome  flower 
gardens,  become  frequent,  and  the  country  generally  pre- 
senjs  those  indications  of  wealth  that  denote  nearness  to  a 
great  city.  About  ten  miles  from  Paris  we  pass  the  forest 
of  St.  Germain  and  soon  reach  St.  Lazare  station,  where 
carriages  are  waiting  for  our  party,  and  into  which  we  are 
hurried  by  gesticulating  drivers  and  porters,  as  if  a  moment's 
delay  would  be  dangerous.  A  detention  of  half  an  hour, 
that  certain  trunks  might  pass  the  customs,  sadly  tried  our 
patience.  We  were,  however,  in  a  busy  street  in  front  of 
the  station,  and  had  an  opportunity  of  observing  how  Sun- 
day is  kept  in  Paris.  At  last  the  trunks  appeared,  a  terrible 
cracking  of  whips  was  the  signal  for  our  departure,  and  we 
were  hurried  through  the  busy  streets  to  the  Hotel  Percy 
on  the  Rue  Boissy  Anglas,  within  three  minutes  walk  of  the 
Madelaine,  or  of  the  Place  de  la  Concorde.  There  was 
more  than  a  dozen  in  our  party  and  we  were  received  by  all 
the  employes  of  the  hotel  on  the  broad  stairway  leading  to 
the  office,  where  we  were  rapidly  assigned  to  rooms.  My 
room  proved  satisfactory  in  every  respect  and  after  a  hasty 
lunch  I  started  out  to  see  Sunday  in  Paris. 

At  noon  many  of  the  places  of  business  close,  but  the 
smaller  shops  and  all  places  where  refreshments  or  food  of 
any  kind  is  sold,  and  all  the  cafes,  remain  open.  It  is  my 
first  experience  in  a  large  city  where  I  do  not  understand 
the  language.  Compared  with  London,  what  a  contrast. 
There  a  clear  sky  is  a  rarity,  and  the  buildings,  mainly  of 
brick,  have  been  sadly  begrimed  with  smoke.  Even  the 


126  AN    ELECTION. 

finer  stone  buildings  have  a  dingy  appearance.  Here  is  a 
beautiful  clear  sky,  and  the  buildings,  mostly  of  a  light 
cream  colored  stone,  look  fresh  and  clean.  More  taste  is 
displayed  in  the  arrangement  and  decoration  of  a  single 
show  window  than  in  a  whole  street  in  London.  Everybody 
seems  smiling  and  happy,  and  there  is  a  sort  of  gayetyin  the 
streets  and  gardens  that  seems  to  be  infectious.  It  may  all 
be  a  sham  and  a  mockery,  covering  vacuity  or  rottenness, 
but  the  delusion  is  a  pleasant  one,  and  the  stranger  is  will- 
ing to  accept  it  for  a  week  as  it  seems,  and  would  rather  not 
be  disenchanted.  My  first  effort  was  to  reach  the  Made- 
lame,  to  catch  some  strains  of  its  fine  music. 

I  fell  into  conversation  with  an  English  gentleman  on  the 
steps  of  the  Madelaine,  who  informed  me  that  an  important 
election  for  members  of  the  Corps  Legislatif  was  in  prog- 
ress— all  elections  here  are  held  on  Sunday.  When  did  an 
American  citizen  fail  to  become  interested  in  an  election  ? 
He  kindly  gave  me  instructions  by  which  I  found  one  of 
the  principal  polling  places.  On  the  sidewalk  in  front  of 
the  building  stood  five  or  six  sedate  looking  men,  with 
broad  white  bands  on  their  hats,  bearing  the  name  of  the 
candidate  whose  ballots  they  distributed.  The  voters  re- 
ceived their  tickets  with  great  calmness  and  deliberation, 
after  which  they  passed  into  the  building.  I  looked  at 
these  solemn  looking  ballot  distributors  and  wondered  if 
enlightened  American  methods  had  found  acceptance  in 
the  new  republic  of  France.  Do  they  really  pass  out  the 
men's  tickets  whose  names  appear  on  their  hats,  or  have 
they  reached  that  stage  of  progress  which,  in  the  great 
Western  Republic,  enables  "  workers  "  at  the  polls  to  take 
one  candidate's  money  and  peddle  another  candidate's 
tickets  ?  Are  they  able  to  practice  that  refined  American 
legerdemain  which  enables  a  "  straight  party  man "  to 
deal  split  tickets  from  the  bottom  of  the  pack?  But  ques- 


THE    OBELISK.  127 

tionings  were  useless  ;  I  was  in  a  foreign  country,  a  fact 
which  the  ballot  distributors  seemed  to  know  as  well  as  I 
did.  I  passed  into  the  building  and  followed  a  French 
voter  up  stairs.  An  officer  at  the  landing  seemed  dis- 
posed to  dispute  my  passage,  with  forcible  gestures  and 
inquiries  which  I  did  not  understand.  I  talked  back  in 
English,  repeating  several  times  with  emphasis  the  word 
"  American."  He  seemed  non-plussed,  probably  had  never 
encountered  so  much  cheek  before,  and  taking  advantage 
of  his  hesitation  I  passed  boldly  on  to  the  room  where 
the  voting  was  done.  Here  I  was  mistaken  for  a  voter 
and  referred  to  a  man  with  a  book.  I  felt  satisfied  that 
my  name  was  not  in  the  book,  and  did  not  require  him 
to  make  any  examination.  Smiling  and  repeating  again 
the  word  "American,"  I  was  permitted  to  watch  the  voters 
deposit  their  ballots.  It  was  a  wonderfully  tame  affair, 
as  compared  with  a  lively  contest  for  street  commissioner 
or  some  other  important  office  in  the  first  ward. 

Returning  up  the  gay  and  crowded  Rue  de  Rivoli, 
passing  the  Palais  Royale  and  the  beautiful  gardens  of  the 
Tuileries,  I  spent  an  hour  in  the  Palace  de  la  Concorde, 
said  to  be  the  most  magnificent  square  in  the  world.  It 
is  about  forty-five  by  seventy-five  rods,  is  in  the  heart  of 
the  city,  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Rue  de  Rivoli,  on  the 
south  by  the  Seine,  east  by  the  gardens  of  the  Tuileries  and 
west  by  the  Champs  Elysees.  In  the  center  of  the  Place, 
on  a  granite  pedestal,  stands  the  Obelisk  of  Luxor,  a 
single  stone  about  seven  feet  square  at  the  base,  and 
seventy-six  feet  high — said  to  weigh  500,000  pounds.  It 
is  of  reddish  granite,  and  covered  with  hieroglyphics  on  all 
sides.  It  formerly  stood  in  front  of  a  temple  at  Thebes 
and  was  erected  by  Rameses  II.,  in  the  fourteenth  cen- 
tury before  Christ.  Its  removal  from  Egypt  and  erection 
here  occupied  three  years  and  cost  $400,000.  There  are 


128  THE    PLACE    DE    LA    CONCORDE. 

two  large  and  very  beautiful  fountains  in  the  square, 
throwing  a  profusion  of  water  in  many  streams  to  a  height 
of  thirty  feet.  Around  the  square  are  eight  statues,  of 
colossal  proportions,  representing  the  eight  principal  cities 
in  France — among  them  Strasburg.  The  figure  represent- 
ing Strasburg  is  adorned  with  black  crape — suggestive  of 
the  past,  or  of  the  future  ? 

But  the  Place  de  la  Concorde  has  an  interesting  his- 
tory, and  has  not  always  been  a  place  of  concord.  In 
the  revolution  of  1793  more  than  2,800  persons  suffered 
death  by  the  'guillotine  on  the  place  where  the  obelisk 
now  stands,  among  them  Louis  XVI.,  Marie  Antoinette, 
Duke  of  Orleans,  Charlotte  Corday,  Danton,  Robespierre, 
Desmoulins  and  Dumas.  In  1814  a  solemn  service  was 
performed  here,  in  presence  of  the  Emperors  of  Russia 
and  Austria,  the  King  of  Prussia  and  the  Russian  and 
Prussian  troops,  in  honor  of  Louis  XVI.,  after  which 
Te  Deums  were  sung  in  honor  of  their  victory  over  Na- 
poleon. A  year  later,  after  Waterloo,  the  Place  was  oc- 
cupied by  British  troops.  In  1871  the  German  troops 
bivouacked  here.  A  few  months  later  this  square  was 
the  scene  of  a  bloody  conflict  between  the  National  troops 
and  the  Communists.  The  latter  had  erected  a  strong 
barricade  across  the  Rue  Royale,  their  cannon  command- 
ing the  Place.  After  a  fierce  cannonade,  in  which,  for- 
tunately, the  obelisk  was  unharmed,  the  barricade  was 
carried  by  storm.  Three  hundred  Communists,  who 
sought  shelter  in  the  beautiful  church  of  the  Madelaine, 
were  shot  down  before  its  altar — not  one  escaped  !  Sit- 
ting here,  this  bright  summer  Sunday  afternoon,  near  to 
the  ancient  obelisk  and  the  magnificent  fountains,  enjoy- 
ing a  view  said  to  be  finer  than  any  other'  city  in  the  world 
affords,  it  is  painful  and  indeed  difficult  to  associate  the 
place  and  its  surroundings  with  the  scenes  of  ten  years  ago. 


FINDING    THE    WESLEYAN    CHAPEL.  129 

Groups  of  well-dressed  children  are  passing  up  the  Rue 
Royale,  where  stood  the  Communists'  barricade.  Crowds 
of  pleasure  seekers,  in  holiday  attire,  for  Sunday  is  a  holi- 
day in  Paris,  surround  the  beautiful  fountains  and  statues. 
A  few  hours  ago,  in  the  Church  of  the  Madelaine,  where  oc- 
curred the  terrible  massacre,  I  saw  a  worshiping  assembly 
devoutly  kneel,  the  arches,  which  had  echoed  the  shrieks  of 
the  dying  and  the  shouts  of  the  victors,  bearing  to  my 
listening  ear  the  solemn  notes  of  the  organ,  accompanying 
a  penitential  hymn. 

I  returned  to  my  hotel  at  6  o'clock,  and  in  company  with 
a  dozen  other  hungry  Americans,  sat  down  for  the  first 
time  to  a  French  table-d'  hote  dinner.  But  little  dinner 
could  be  seen,  and  yet  by  the  changing  of  plates  seven  times, 
making  eight  courses,  I  managed  to  get  a  hearty  meal.  The 
dinner  occupied  one  hour  and  seventeen  minutes,  which  is 
considered  fast  time  in  Paris,  but  Americans  will  persist  in 
doing  everything  in  a  hurry. 

In  company  with  a  gentleman  of  our  party,  who  seemed 
confident  of  his  ability  to  talk  French,  I  started  to  find  the 
English  Wesleyan  Chapel,  being  told  that  Bishop  Simpson 
would  probably  preach  there.  My  friend  seemed  confident 
of  his  French,  and  I  left  the  name  of  the  street,  which  we 
had  seen  on  a  card  at  the  hotel,  to  him.  After  traveling  a 
short  distance  he  made  repeated  efforts  /';/  French,  to  obtain 
directions  of  policemen  and  others,  but  failed.  We  had 
traveled  some  distance  and  it  was  near  the  time  of  service. 
He  remarked,  almost  out  of  temper,  "  Here  comes  a  lady,  I'll 
ask  her.  The  men  in  this  country  don't  seem  to  know  any- 
thing." He  tried  his  French  vehemently  on  the  lady.  A 
smile  soon  lighted  up  her  face,  and  she  seemed  with  diffi- 
culty to  suppress  her  laughter.  She  interrupted  my  friend 
by  saying  in  beautiful  English,  "  I  suppose,  sir,  from  your 
using  the  word  Wesleyan,  and  from  its  being  Sunday  even- 


130  SUNDAY    NIGHT    IN    PARIS. 

ing,  you  desire  to  find  the  Wesleyan  Chapel.  If  so,  it  is  in 
the  next  street  to  the  left,  a  few  doors  from  the  corner."  I 
cruelly  said  to  the  lady,  "  Then  you  don't  understand 
French?"  She  replied  with  a  laugh,  as  she  viewed  the  chop- 
fallen  expression  of  my  friend's  face  :  "  Bless  you,  yes,  just 
as  well  as  I  understand  English."  My  friend  passed  on  in 
silence.  At  length  I  said  in  a  tone  of  inquiry,  "  Strange 
that  the  only  word  that  you  said,  which  the  lady  understood, 
was  the  English  word  Wesleyan."  He  groaned,  implored 
me  not  to  give  him  away  at  the  hotel,  and  at  once  re- 
nounced all  pretensions  to  French.  I  am  told  that  it  is  a 
matter  of  great  surprise  to  young  ladies  who  have  graduated 
in  French  at  American  high  schools,  to  find  that  French  is 
not  spoken  in  Paris. 

Returning  through  the  brilliantly  lighted  streets  and 
boulevards,  I  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  how  Sunday 
night  is  observed  in  Paris.  A  newspaper  could  be  read  in 
the  center  of  the  principal  streets,  while  the  brilliant  jets  in 
front  of  the  cafes  almost  discounted  sunlight.  In  front  of 
the  cafes  were  chairs  and  tables,  in  many  places  occupying 
at  least  half  of  the  very  wide  sidewalks,  where  sat  their 
customers,  sipping  their  wine  or  coffee,  or  indulging  in 
something  bearing  a  remote  resemblance  to  American  ice- 
cream. The  scenes  I  witnessed  were  novel  and  would  be 
difficult  to  describe  ;  no  drunkenness,  or  vulgarity,  or  bois- 
terous conduct  of  any  kind,  and  everybody  apparently  en- 
joying themselves,  with  no  other  restraints  than  good  breed- 
ing imposes.  I  passed  into  the  Place  de  la  Concorde,  and 
wondered  how  the  old  obelisk,  if  it  could  think,  must  regard 
the  new-fangled  electric  lights  by  which  it  is  surrounded. 
Looking  towards  the  Champs  Elysees,  the  wide  avenue 
leading  to  the  Arc  de  Triumphe,  a  still  more  brilliant  scene 
was  before  me.  Concert  gardens,  and  saloons,  and  outdoor 
entertainments  of  various  kinds  occupy  the  sides  of  this 


THE    OPERA    HOUSE.  131 

great  thoroughfare  and  pleasure  ground,  lighted  more  bril- 
liantly than  anything  I  had  seen  in  the  streets  or  boulevards. 
I  looked  on  for  a  few  minutes  at  half  a  dozen  places,  most 
of  them  accommodating  several  thousand  persons — admission 
free,  but  pay  for  your  refreshments.  The  performances 
seemed  to  be  what  in  America  we  would  call  "Variety" 
entertainments,  but  the  order  and  decorum  observed  was 
remarkable.  I  strolled  around  till  a  late  hour,  but  the 
streets  were  as  brilliant  and  crowded  as  earlier  in  the  even- 
ing, the  theatres  pouring  out  their  thousands  to  throng  the 
streets  and  cafes.  It  will  do  to  look  at  once,  as  a  sight 
seer,  but  I  retired,  sincerely  thankful  that  Parisian  Sundays 
are  unknown  in  America. 

Our  arrangements  for  sight-seeing  in  Paris  were  made 
through  Caygill's  agency,  and  included  carriages  and  con- 
ductor for  all  places  of  interest  in  Paris,  with  a  day's  visit 
to  Versailles.  The  programme  was  faithfully  carried  out, 
and  our  conductor,  a  Frenchman,  proved  to  be  intelligent 
and  well  informed  on  matters  of  history.  As  a  resident  of 
Paris  during  the  siege  by  the  Germans,  and  its  occupation 
by  the  Communists,  he  was  able  to  give  us  much  interesting 
information  in  regard  to  the  terrible  scenes  of  1870-71. 

One  of  the  most  imposing  buildings  in  Paris  is  the  new 
opera  house,  bearing  on  its  front  the  inscription,  "  Acadamie 
Nationale  de  Musique."  It  is  the  largest  theatre  in  the 
world,  covering  an  area  of  nearly  three  acres,  but  has  seat- 
ing accommodations  for  only  2,500  persons,  being  less  than 
several  other  large  theatres.  Over  400  houses  were  removed 
to  make  room  for  the  vast  building  and  the  square  in  which 
it  stands,  known  as  the  Place  de  L'Opera.  It  was  com- 
menced by  Emperor  Napoleon  III.,  in  1861,  and  intended 
to  be  the  grand  architectural  glory  of  his  reign  ;  it  has  been 
completed  by  the  government  of  the  republic  at  a  total  cost 
to  the  nation,  including  site,  of  about  twelve  million  dollars. 


I32  THE    INTERIOR. 

It  is  lighted  by  9,000  gas  jets  and  has  dressing-rooms  for 
600  performers.  The  principal  front,  approached  by  broad 
flights  of  stone  steps,  is  three  stories  high.  The  portico  has 
seven  arches,  the  two  outer  ones  forming  the  principal  en- 
trance. The  entire  front  seems  to  be  covered  with  columns, 
arches,  statues,  busts,  groups,  and  medallions,  in  various 
colored  marbles  ;  there  is  also  a  large  amount  of  gilding  and 
bronze  work.  From  the  center  of  the  building  rises  a  low 
dome  and  behind  it  a  colossal  Apollo,  with  golden  lyre,  and 
on  each  side  a  Pegasus. 

Having  admired  its  beautiful  exterior,  I  purchased  a 
ticket  to  the  opera,  costiug  a  dollar  and  a  quarter,  to  see  its 
splendid  interior.  The  front  gates  are  covered  with  gold, 
and  passing  in  we  ascend  the  grand  stairway,  thirty  feet 
wide,  the  steps  of  white  marble.  The  balustrades  are  of  a 
reddish  marble,  with  a  hand-rail  of  Algerian  onyx.  Each 
story  has  a  balcony  looking  down  into  the  vesti- 
bule, from  which  one  can  take  in  the  throng  pressing  into 
the  audience  room.  The  landings  are  decorated  with  alle- 
gorical designs,  and  numerous  statues  of  marble  and  bronze 
occupy  niches  in  the  balconies.  The  vestibule  and  balcon- 
ies are  brilliantly  lighted,  and  the  effect  is  wonderfully  fine. 
Entering  the  audience  room  one  is  surprised  at  its  size  and 
beauty.  There  is  the  usual  parquette,  and  four  tiers  of 
boxes,  divided  into  bays  by  eight  huge  columns  ;  there  is 
also  above  the  boxes  a  gallery  forming  a  fifth  story.  The 
boxes  are  very  roomy  and  seem  to  be  all  fitted  up  alike.  The 
decorations  of  the  ceiling  are  on  plates  of  copper,  and  the 
magnificent  lustre  overhead  with  its  400  jets  shines  like  an 
immense  crown  of  diamonds.  The  stage  is  74  by  178  feet, 
and  196  feet  high — about  50  square  rods  of  stage,  nearly  a 
third  of  an  acre  !  The  immense  drop  curtain  is  of  red  and 
gold  and  unadorned  with  paintings  or  devices  of  any  kind. 
The  parquette  is  for  gentlemen  only  and  there  are  no  re- 


FOYER   OF   THE    GRAND   OPERA   HOUSE.    PARIS. 


THE    GRAND    FOYER.  133 

quirements  as  to  dress  ;  in  the  boxes  a  full  dress  suit  of 
black  with  gloves,  etc.,  is  necessary.  The  occupants  of  the 
boxes  seemed  to  be  largely  French,  and  finely  dressed.  The 
orchestra  numbers  about  100,  the  chorus  proper  about  150, 
and  as  the  opera  of  Faust  was  performed,  about  75  soldiers 
added  their  .voices  in  the  "  Soldier's  Chorus."  The  scenery 
and  arrangement  of  the  stage  was  perfect.  I  noticed  in  vil- 
lage scenes  and  festivals,  the  full  proportion  of  children  and 
young  people  one  would  expect  to  see  in  such  places  were 
present,  and  acted  their  parts  as  naturally  as  the  older  people. 
The  same  careful  attention  to  detail  characterized  the  entire 
performance.  At  the  close  of  the  first  act  the  audience 
arose  and  began  to  leave,  a  proceeding  that  puzzled  me 
very  much,  and  no  one  near  me  seemed  to  speak  English. 
I  concluded  to  keep  my  seat  and  see  what  would  come  of 
it,  when  a  gentleman  passing  and  probably  noticing  my  per- 
plexity, said  to  me  ;  "  Everybody  goes  out  between  the 
acts  to  see  the  other  parts  of  the  building."  I  felt  relieved 
and  at  once  joined  the  procession. 

Following  the  largest  number,  I  found  myself  in  the  room 
known  as  the  Grand  Foyer.  It  is  180  feet  long,  about  40 
feet  wide  and  60  feet  high,  and  is  lighted  by  ten  large 
lustres  and  a  number  of  huge  chandeliers,  so  brilliantly  as 
to  almost  distress  the  eyes,  and  mar  somewhat  the  effect  of 
the  coloring.  Along  the  walls  are  twenty  columns,  bearing 
statues  emblematical  of  the  qualities  an  artist  should  possess. 
There  are  two  splendid  chimney  pieces,  and  immense  mir- 
rors at  the  ends  indefinitely  prolong  the  room.  The  deco- 
rations, which  look  as  fresh  as  if  completed  yesterday,  seem 
to  be  of  solid  gold.  The  beautiful  illustration  represents  the 
scene,  as  perfectly  as  black  ink  can  portray  all  the  colors 
of  the  rainbow,  with  gold,  and  crystal,  and  variegated  mar- 
bles and  mosaic,  in  a  gorgeous  profusion  which  one  can 
hardly  imagine,  thrown  in  besides.  I  have  never  seen  so 


134  THE  MADELAINE. 

much  or  so  perfect  gilding,  or  so  magnificent  mirrors.  The 
ceiling  seems  to  be  of  mosaic,  representing  Diana,  Orpheus, 
Mercury,  etc.  Above  the  mirrors  is  represented  a  proces- 
sion of  children  carrying  the  musical  instruments  of  all  na- 
tions. On  the  walls  are  fine  paintings  representing  the 
various  kinds  of  music  and  dancing  and  their  effects,  among 
them  David  playing  before  Saul,  and  Salome  dancing  before 
Herod.  The  many  scenes  from  heathen  mythology  were  be- 
yond my  ability  to  decipher.  All  that  modern  art  could  do 
has  been  done  to  make  this  room  gorgeous,  and  so  far  as  I 
could  discover,  it  has  no  other  use  than  as  a  grand  prome- 
nade and  show  room.  Its  lavish  decorations,  as  well  as 
those  of  the  entire  building,  were  no  doubt  intended  to  hand 
down  to  posterity  the  name  of  Napoleon  III.,  and  yet  I 
failed  to  find  a  statue,  bust  or  medallion  of  the  emperor,  and 
doubt  if  there  are  any  in  the  grand  opera  house.  Even  the 
",N  "  which  marked  the  Imperial  box  in  the  audience  room 
has  been  removed.  Three  times  the  audience  retired  be- 
tween the  acts,  giving  me  an  opportunity  to  examine  the 
various  parts  of  the  building,  but  I  am  afraid  my  somewhat 
lengthy  description  has  already  proved  tedious  to  my 
readers. 

A  short  street,  the  Rue  Royale,  leads  from  the  Place  de  la 
Concorde  to  the  Place  de  Madelaine.  It  is  a  large  square, 
on  the  sides  of  which  are  some  fine  trees,  and  in  the  center, 
the  beautiful  "Madelaine,"  or  Church  of  St.  Mary  Magda- 
lene. I  have  referred  to  it  as  the  scene  of  the  terrible  mas- 
sacre of  the  Communists  who  had  sought  shelter  under  its 
altar  from  the  fury  of  the  national  troops.  Although  the 
immense  foundation  was  laid  in  1764,  the  building  was  not 
completed  till  1842,  at  a  cost  of  nearly  $3,000,000.  It  is  in 
the  form  of  a  Grecian  temple,  350  feet  in  length,  140  feet 
wide,  and  100  feet  high.  The  entire  structure  rests  on  a 
basement  twenty  feet  high,  and  is  approached  by  marble 


THE    HOTEL    DES  INVALIDES.  135 

steps,  extending  the  entire  width  of  the  building.  It  is  sur- 
rounded by  fifty-two  massive  Corinthian  columns,  each  fifty 
feet  in  height,  which  support  the  porticos  and  roof.  There 
are  no  windows  in  the  sides  of  the  building,  the  ceiling  inside 
being  finished  in  three  dome-shaped  sections,  through  which 
the  light  is  introduced.  The  doors  are  of  bronze,  thirty-five 
feet  high  and  sixteen  feet  wide,  and  are  ornamented  with 
scenes  illustrating  the  ten  commandments.  The  walls  and 
floor  of  the  interior  are  of  marble,  and  the  fine  pictures  and 
statues  altogether  too  numerous  for  description.  The  high 
altar  has  a  fine  group  in  marble,  representing  Mary  Mag- 
dalene borne  to  heaven  by  angels. 

There  is  an  extensive  flower  market  in  the  square,  near 
the  church,  and  the  morning  hour  seems  to  bring  numerous 
customers.  It  is  really  interesting  to  watch  the  motions  and 
gestures  of  buyer  and  seller,  not  understanding  a  word  spo- 
ken by  either.  The  fearful  rolling  of  the  r's,  the  peculiar 
shrugging  of  the  shoulders,  the  wonderful  movements  of  the 
eyebrows,  and  peculiar  inflections  of  the  voice,  are  novel  and 
amusing. 

From  the  Place  de  la  Concorde,  looking  southerly  across 
the  Seine,  is  a  fine  building,  with  magnificent  gilded  dome, 
the  Hotel  des  Invalides.  Crossing  the  Seine  by  the  Pont  de 
la  Concorde,  and  passing  the  Chamber  of  Deputies  and 
some  other  public  buildings,  we  reach  the  Esplanade  des  In- 
valides, containing  about  ten  acres,  handsomely  laid  out  and 
bordered  with  several  rows  of  trees.  Arriving  at  the  outer 
court  we  find  it  surrounded  on  three  sides  by  a  dry  moat. 
Here  is  a  battery,  used  for  firing  salutes,  and  a  large  number 
of  captured  cannon,  representing  almost  every  country  in 
Europe,  and  most,  if  not  all,  of  the  continents.  Soldiers 
who  have  been  disabled,  or  who  have  seen  thirty  years'  ser- 
vice, are  entitled  to  a  home  in  the  hotel,  and  there  are 
accommodations  for  over  5,000,  though  less  than  1,000  are 


136  CHURCH    OF    THE    INVALIDES. 

here  at  present.  In  one  wing  of  the  building  is  a  large  mili- 
tary museum,  containing  amis,  armor  and  trophies  of  great 
interest,  and  many  fine  pictures.  Feeling  especially  interest- 
ed in  one  of  the  historical  paintings,  I  asked  the  conductor 
a  question,  and  was  about  to  enter  his  reply  in  my  note  book. 
He  looked  at  me  with  an  amused  expression,  and  pointing  to 
my  book,  said  :  "  No  use  ;  too  many  paintings  to  be  seen  for 
that.  I  will  show  you  seven  miles  of  paintings  at  Versailles 
alone  !"  I  inquired  if  fine  paintings  were  reckoned  by  the 
mile  in  Paris  ?  He  replied,  "  No  ;  but  there  are  a  great 
many  miles  more  of  them  than  you  have  any  idea  of,  so  you 
may  as  well  save  your  note  book  for  something  else." 

The  Church  of  the  Invalides,  which  is  the  great  object  of 
interest,  consists  of  a  nave  and  dome  separated  from  each 
other  by  a  screen.  The  nave  is  about  seventy  feet  wide, 
and  more  than  200  feet  long,  and  is  adorned  with  flags  taken 
in  Algeria,  Russia,  Italy,  China  and  Mexico.  In  1814,  the 
evening  before  the  allies  entered  Paris,  1,500  flags  taken  by 
Napoleon,  were  burned  in  the  court  of  the  Invalides,  to  pre- 
vent their  capture  by  the  allied  troops.  That  part  of  the 
church  known  as  the  dome,  is  square  on  the  outside,  and 
about  200  feet  each  way.  It  is  surmounted  by  a  magnificent 
dome,  gilded  at  enormous  expense,  by  Napoleon,  and  again 
in  1 86 1,  by  the  process  of  electro  plating.  This  dome  is 
ninety  feet  at  the  base,  and  its  top  about  350  feet  above  the 
pavement.  The  interior  of  the  dome  is  circular,  the  corners 
cut  off  being  used  as  chapels,  and  it  is  entirely  of  marble,  of 
the  finest  quality  and  finish.  In  the  center  is  a  circular 
crypt,  about  twenty  feet  deep  and  forty  feet  in  diameter,  sur- 
rounded by  a  marble  balustrade.  The  walls  are  of  polished 
granite,  and  decorated  with  bas-reliefs  by  the  most  eminent 
sculptors  of  France.  In  the  center  of  the  crypt  is  a  sar- 
cophagus of  brown  granite,  covering  the  remains  of  the  Em- 
peror Napoleon  I.  It  is  a  single  stone,  thirteen  feet  long, 


TOMB    OF    NAPOLEON.  137 

seven  feet  wide  and  fifteen  high,  weighs  about  seventy  tons, 
and  was  brought  from  Finland  in  the  rough  at  a  cost  of  $30- 
ooo.  Around  the  crypt,  and  facing  the  tomb,  stand  twelve 
colossal  statues,  representing  victories.  The  pavement  of 
the  crypt  represents  a  huge  crown  of  laurels,  worked  in 
green  marble  in  a  tessellated  floor  of  black  and  white  marble. 
The  light  is  admitted  through  windows  of  purple  glass,  and, 
falling  on  the  polished  floor  and  decorations  of  the  crypt, 
gives  it  a  peculiarly  delicate  violet  hue  that  is  very  beautiful. 
The  marbles,  sculptures,  and  decorations  of  the  crypt  and 
dome,  preparing  it  for  the  tomb  of  the  great  Napoleon,  cost 
nearly  $2,000,000.  I  do  not  think  a  more  simple  and  appro- 
priate, yet  magnificent  and  beautiful  conception  for  the  rest- 
ing place  of  a  great  man,  has  been  carried  out  since  Cheops 
built  the  great  pyramid. 

Near  to  the  Invalides  are  many  other  places  of  interest, 
among  them  the  Ecole  Militaire  (military  school),  a  most 
imposing  building.  During  the  revolution  it  was  used  as  a 
barracks,  and  accommodated  5,000  men  and  1,500  horses. 
A  better  idea  of  its  vast  size  may  be  had  from  the  fact  that 
its  grand  front  is  a  full  quarter  of  a  mile  long !  In  the  cen- 
ter is  a  large  Corinthian  portico,  surmounted  by  a  quadran- 
gular dome.  Between  the  Ecole  and  the  Seine  is  a  bare 
space  of  about  twelve  acres,  known  as  the  Champs  de  Mars. 
It  is  used  for  military  reviews,  and  was  the  site  of  the  expo- 
sition buildings  of  1867  and  1878. 

From  the  Champs  de  Mars  the  Seine  is  crossed  by  the 
Pont  d'Jena,  built  in  1806-1813,  to  commemorate  the  vic- 
tory of  Jena.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  on  high 
ground,  is  the  beautiful  Palace  de  Trocadero.  In  front  of 
it  is  a  fine  park  and  grounds,  rising  gradually  from  the  river, 
with  a  small  lake  and  cascades  and  fountains.  The  Trocadero 
was  erected  for  the  exhibition  of  1878,  and  as  seen  from  the 
river,  is  one  of  the  most  attractive  buildings  in  Paris.  It  is 


138  THE    ARC    PE  TK1UMPHE. 

in  the  Oriental  style  and  in  the  form  of  a  crescent,  with  a 
high  circular  building,  about  200  feet  in  diameter  and  sur- 
mounted by  a  dome,  in  the  centre.  There  are  beautiful  mi- 
narets, 270  feet  high,  on  each  side  of  the  dome.  The  entire 
front  is  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  extent. 

Up  to  this  time  I  have  seen  but  few  soldiers  in  Paris,  and 
these  singly  or  in  paires,  but  in  the  streets  near  the  Troca- 
dero  I  saw  several  regiments  pass  by.  I  had  supposed 
French  soldiers  to  be  as  we  sometimes  say,  "  Soldiers  all 
over,"  and  expected  to  see  a  martial  bearing  and  fine  march- 
ing. On  the  contrary,  the  marching  was  heavy  and  poor, 
and  the  ranks  seemed  to  be  filled  with  innocent  agricultur- 
ists and  mechanics,  anything  but  soldierly  in  appearance. 
The  splendid  fighting  qualities  of  the  French  cannot  be  ques- 
tioned, but  their  appearance  in  the  ranks  would  not  indi- 
cate it. 

North  of  the  Trocadero,  and  reached  by  the  Avenue 
d'Jena,  is  the  Arc  de  Triumphe,  said  to  be  the  largest  tri- 
umphal arch  in  existence,  and  from  its  position  one  of  the 
most  prominent  objects  in  Paris,  as  viewed  from  the  sub- 
urbs or  any  of  the  numerous  towers.  It  was  commenced  in 
1806,  by  Napoleon,  to  commemorate  his  victories,  but  was 
completed  by  Louis  Philippe,  in  1836.  It  is  146  feet  wide, 
72  feet  deep  and  160  feet  high,  and  cost  about  ten  million 
dollars.  Its  appearance  strikes  one  as  massive  rather  than 
elegant.  It  is  adorned  with  a  wonderful  amount  of  sculp- 
tures, representing  French  victories,  the  names  of  over  one 
hundred  being  inscribed  on  it.  On  the  roof  of  the  trans- 
versal arch  are  the  names  of  nearly  seven  hundred  officers 
killed  in  battle.  One  of  the  finest  sculptures  is  a  colossal 
group  representing  the  blessings  of  peace  ;  it  almost  seems 
out  of  place  amid  such  surroundings.  From  the  top  of  the 
Arc  is  said  to  be  the  finest  view  of  Paris,  its  fortifications 
and  environs.  I  found  an  hour,  with  a  good  telescope  and 


PERE    LA  CHAISE.  139 

guide,  well  spent  in  making  myself  familiar  with  the  loca- 
tions of  the  various  objects  of  interest  in  and  near  the 
city. 

The  cemetery  of  Pere  la  Chaise  is  the  largest  in  Paris, 
containing  over  two  hundred  acres.  For  a  long  distance  be- 
fore reaching  the  gates,  the  street  is  lined  with  shops  of  mar- 
ble and  stone  cutters,  and  the  manufacturers  of  the  various 
devices  used  here  to  indicate  mourning.  Flowers,  natural 
and  artificial,  mostly  the  latter  ;  bugle  and  bead  garlands 
and  wreaths  of  all  colors  ;  crosses,  stars,  and  anchors  ;  por- 
celain and  plaster  cherubs,  lambs  and  doves  ;  small  framed 
pictures  of  weeping  widows,  sorrowing  parents,  death  bed 
scenes,  empty  cradles,  and  mottoes  for  all  degrees  of  grief 
are  part  of  the  singular  array  of  merchandise  that  one 
sees  in  windows,  doors,  and  in  front  of  the  stores  in  this 
melancholy  looking  street.  In  an  American  cemetery  we 
are  accustomed  to  burial  lots  of  some  size,  the  grounds  and 
shrubbery  being  well  cared  for,  and  the  graves  marked  by 
monuments,  usually  showing  taste  and  skill — though  some- 
times only  the  wealth  of  the  family.  Here,  there  are  no 
graves,  it  is  not  a  garden,  a  "  God's  Acre,"  but  a  miniature 
city  of  the  dead.  It  is  formed  of  vaults,  it  may  be  twenty 
feet  deep,  the  coffins  on  shelves  one  above  the  other.  On 
the  surface  are  little  stone  or  marble  houses,  standing  close 
together  along  the  edges  of  the  walks,  and  usually  about  six 
by  ten  feet  on  the  ground  and  eight  to  ten  feet  high.  On 
the  front  is  the  family  name,  or  the  name  of  some  very  dis- 
tinguished person  buried  in  the  vault  beneath.  A  grated, 
and  sometimes  open  window,  affords  a  view  of  the  memori- 
als and  offerings  within.  These  house-like  monuments  are 
frequently  ornamented  with  expensive  sculptures,  but  the 
general  appearance  of  such  a  cemetery  strikes  an  American 
as  most  singular,  and  not  in  accordance  with  his  ideas  of  the 
fitness  of  things.  On  looking  through  the  small  grated  or 
8 


140  THE    VAULTS. 

open  windows,  you  see  on  the  back  and  sides  the  names  of 
those  buried  in  the  vault.  There  is  usually,  on  a  shelf,  a 
crucifix  and  candles,  and  on  the  other  shelves  memorial  of- 
ferings to  the  deceased.  Bead  work,  representing  wreaths, 
crosses,  baskets,  etc.,  are  common,  also  imitations  of  flowers 
and  plants,  made  of  painted  metal,  mottoes  on  painted  glass, 
pictures  of  tombs  with  weeping  relatives,  etc.  Even  in  the 
more  expensive  -tombs,  the  decorations  and  memorials 
would  be  considered  by  an  American  cheap  and  tawdry.  In 
their  sorrow  for  bereavement  the  French  do  not  forget  their 
natural  habits  of  economy,  or  "  throw  themselves  wide  open" 
to  be  fleeced  and  robbed,  as  Americans  do  on  similar  oc- 
casions. 

The  grandest  tomb  is  that  of  the  Russian  Princess  Demi- 
doff  ;  but  the  center  of  attraction  is  the  ancient  and  decayed 
Gothic  chapel,  which  forms  a  roof  for  the  sarcophagus  con- 
taining the  remains  of  Abelard  and  Heloise.  Their  statues 
represent  an  old  man  and  woman,  and  their  last  resting  place 
is  the  Mecca  of  despairing  lovers.  Among  the  distinguished 
men  buried  here  are  Cherubini,  Herold,  Bellini,  Chopin, 
Rossini,  Mehul,  Pleyel,  Wely,  Thiers,  Perrier,  Raspail,  Ma- 
rat, Ledru  Rollin,  De  Morny,  Kellerman,  Saint  Cyr,  Mac- 
donald,  Suchet,  Foy,  Massena,  Ney,  Beranger,  Balzac,  La- 
fontaine,  Moliere,  Racine,  Michelet,  Cousin,  etc, 

Looking  into  an  open  vault,  I  saw  some  graves  of  chil- 
dren, and  beside  them,  preserved  in  glass  cases,  their  child- 
ish toys — dolls,  balls,  rattles,  etc.  In  an  instant  a  little  por- 
celain dog,  and  other  trinkets,  carefully  treasured,  but  near- 
ly 4,000  miles  away,  flashed  before  me — and  with  them, 
a  sweet,  pale  face.  Strangely  enough,  Pere  la  Chaise,  with 
ts  rough  pavements  and  stone  vaults,  and  beautiful  Glen- 
wood  with  its  spreading  trees  and  gravelled  paths,  seemed  to 
have  become  common  soil,  transformed  by  the  sacred  touch 
of  a  mutual  sorrow  and  bereavement. 


NOTRE    DAME.  141 

The  most  ancient  part  of  Paris  is  an  island,  now  near  the 
center  of  the  city,  and  surrounded  by  the  water  of  the  Seine, 
known  as  the  He  de  la  Cite.  At  the  time  of  the  conquest  of 
Gaul  by  Juliu%  Caesar,  it  was  occupied  by  a  tribe  known  as 
the  Parisii.  On  this  island  is  the  metropolitan  church  of 
Paris,  the  Cathedral  of  Notre  Dame.  Its  foundations  were 
laid  by  Pope  Alexander  III.,  at  the  time  a  refugee  in  France, 
in  1160.  It  was  consecrated  in  1182,  but  not  completed 
till  1420.  It  is  410  by  150  feet,  and  the  vaulted  ceiling 
is  supported  by  seventy-five  large  columns.  The  general 
appearance  of  the  interior  is  both  ancient  and  grand. 
There  are  thirty-seven  large  windows  of  stained  glass,  mostly 
very  old,  and  through  which  the  sun  has  shone  on  scenes 
that  have  made  their  mark  on  the  history  of  France  and  of 
the  world.  The  desecration  of  the  cathedral  during  the  first 
revolution  has  become  matter  of  history,  and  is  frequently 
referred  to  from  the  rostrum  or  pulpit  to  "  point  a  moral." 
In  1793  a  decree  was  passed  devoting  the  noble  building  to 
destruction,  but  afterwards  rescinded  that  it  might  be  con- 
verted into  a  "  Temple  of  Reason."  The  statue  of  the 
Virgin  was  replaced  by  one  of  Liberty.  In  the  choir  an  em- 
blematical "  Temple  of  Philosophy,"  in  the  Greek  style, 
was  erected,  covered  with  busts  of  Rousseau,  Voltaire,  and 
other  liberalists  of  the  day  ;  and  inside  the  temple  the 
"  Torch  of  Truth  "  was  kept  burning.  The  enthroned 
figure  of  "Reason  "  was  represented  by  a  ballet-dancer  who' 
here,  surrounded  by  damsels  of  like  character  dressed  in 
white  and  bearing  torches,  received  the  homage  of  her 
votaries.  Orgies  of  the  most  indecent  character  were  con- 
ducted in  the  side  chapels,  and  the  world  looked  on  in 
wonder  while  "Reason  gloriously  freed  from  religious  super- 
stitions "  held  lascivious  riot,  and  observed  rites  and  cere- 
monies in  honor  of  the  new  God,  or  Goddess,  more  ridicu- 
lous than  the  worship  of  savage  tribes.  That  instrument  of 


142  THE     PANTHEON. 

enlightenment,  the  guillotine,  in  front  of  the  Hotel  de  Ville, 
kept  time  with  the  "  march  of  Reason  "  at  Notre  Dame. 

Phrenologists  have  told  me  that  my  bump  of  veneration 
is  not  largely  developed,  and  that  I  am  not  a  very  religious 
person  ;  and  yet,  standing  on  the  spot  where  "pure  Reason  " 
was  once  enthroned,  I  avow  my  willingness  to  subscribe  to 
any  form  of  superstitious  doctrine  or  heresy  ever  promulgat- 
ed in  the  name  of  Christ,  Calvinism,  the  worst  of  all,  not 
excepted,  rather  than  become  a  votary  of  Reason,  divorced 
from  religion.  The  cathedral  was  closed  from  1794  till 
1802,  when,  by  order  of  Napoleon,  it  was  opened  for  relig- 
ious worship.  The  first  Napoleon  was  here  crowned  Em- 
peror and  in  one  of  the  aisles  I  heard  an  English  lady  read 
a  description  of  the  grand  pageant  to  a  little  group  that 
surrounded  her — how  Napoleon  assumed  the  weight  of  em- 
pire in  a  mantle  so  extravagantly  gorgeous  as  to  weigh  eighty 
pounds  ;  how  Josephine  wore  a  white  satin  dress  embroid- 
ered with  gold,  and  crimson  velvet  mantle  lined  with  ermine, 
and  wore  a  diadem  of  diamonds  and  pearls  ;  how  Pope  Pius 
VII.  came  from  Rome  for  the  occasion,  and  how  Napoleon 
lifted  the  Imperial  crown  a*nd  placed  it  on  his  head  and 
afterwards  placed  a  crown  on  the  head  of  Josephine,  leav- 
ing only  the  prayers  and  benediction  for  the  pope.  The 
Emperor  Napoleon  III.  was  married  at  Notre  Dame,  and  I 
was  shown  the  font  used  at  the  baptism  of  the  late  Prince 
Imperial,  presented  by  Pope  Pius  IX. 

The  Pantheon  occupies  the  site  of  the  tomb  of  St.  Gene- 
vieve,  the  patron  saint  of  Paris,  who  died  in  the  sixth  cen- 
tury. The  foundation  of  the  present  church  was  laid  in 
1764,  and  when  completed  it  was  dedicated  to  St.  Genevieve. 
During  the  first  revolution  it  was  converted  into  a  memorial 
temple  and  named  the  "  Pantheon,"  and  indeed  the  exterior 
resembles  more  a  heathen  temple  than  a  church.  It  is  in  the 
form  of  a  Greek  cross,  and  surmounted  by  an  imposing 


PARISIAN    CHURCHES.  143 

dome.  The  portico  is  formed  of  huge  Corinthian  columns, 
eighty  feet  high,  and  the  designs  on  the  tympanum  are 
hardly  churchly  in  character,  representing  as  they  do  Na- 
poleon, Carnot,  Laplace,  Voltaire,  Rousseau,  etc.  The  en- 
trance to  the  interior  is  by  three  beautiful  bronze  doors, 
and  on  entering  one  is  impressed  with  the  singular  majesty 
and  yet  simplicity  of  form  and  style.  It  is  to  be  decorated 
with  frescoes  of  a  national  and  historical  character,  several 
of  which  are  completed  and  others  in  progress.  Mirabeau 
and  Marat  were  buried  here,  but  their  remains  were  after- 
ward removed,  by  order  of  the  convention.  Voltaire  and 
Rousseau  were  also  buried  here,  but  after  the  restoration 
their  remains  were  removed  and  their  resting  place  is  un- 
known. In  the  revolution  of  1848  the  Pantheon  was  the 
headquarters  of  the  insurgents,  and  was  also  occupied  by 
the  Communists,  in  1871,  who  had  deposited  gunpowder  in 
its  vaults  to  blow  it  up,  but  were  dislodged  before  they 
could  accomplish  their  purpose. 

The  history  of  most  Parisian  churches  is  about  as  follows: 
built  thirteenth  to  eighteenth  century  :  desecrated  and 
closed  during  the  first  revolution  ;  restored  under  the  em- 
pire or  monarchy  ;  used  as  a  stable,  hospital  or  store  house, 
by  the  Communists,  in  1871,  who  meant  to  burn  it  or  blow 
it  up,  but  failed  on  account  of  the  unexpected  entrance  of 
the  Versailles  troops.  They  are  of  various  degrees  of  archi- 
tectural merit  externally,  but  I  found  all  the  interiors  both 
beautiful  and  interesting.  Their  ritualistic  and  showy  wor- 
ship has  its  charms  for  all,  and  is  equally  within  the  reach 
of  rich  and  poor.  »  To  one  who  has  stood  in  the  vestibule  of 
Grace  Church,  New  York,  and  felt  humiliated  under  the 
searching  look  of  the  late  lamented  Brown,  sexton  or  pro- 
prietor, I  never  could  make  up  my  mind  which,  and  has 
entered  with  a  loss  of  self  respect,  impelled  by  a  desire  to 
hear  the  finest  church  music  in  America,  it  is  a  matter  of 


144  THE    CHURCH    MUSIC. 

surprise  that  in  cathedrals  four  times  the  size  and  costing 
twenty  times  as  much,  no  self  important  official  bars  the 
way.  You  enter  as  unmolested  as  if  it  were  a  railway  sta- 
tion. There  seems  to  be  absolutely  no  distinction  of  race, 
color,  wealth  or  birth  ;  the  market  woman,  seamstress  or  me- 
chanic, may  have  as  eligible  a  seat  as  anybody.  Here  "  the 
rich  and  the  poor  meet  together,"  and  their  surroundings 
are  not  calculated  to  give  the  lie  to  the  idea  that  the  Lord 
is  "maker  of  them  all."  A  back  seat  by  the  door  or  a  free 
seat  in  the  aisle  does  not  remind  the  poor  man  of  his  pov- 
erty, or  the  annoyed  stare  of  a  pew  holder  make  a  man 
feel  as  if  he  were  a  trespasser  in  what  should  be  his  Father's 
house.  A  Parisian  church,  with  its  wonders  of  architecture 
and  art,  and  the  perfect  equality  of  its  worshipers,  is  a  much 
more  effective  sermon  than  some  I  have  heard  from  Ameri- 
can pulpits  on  "the  Fatherhood  of  God."  Too  many  of 
our  Protestant  churches  seem  possessed  with  the  idea  of  the 
lady  whose  pastor  opposed  some  of  her  notions  of  church 
management  by  gently  reminding  her,  that  in  Heaven  there 
would  be  no  distinctions  of  wealth  or  rank,  and  received 
the  startling  reply,  "  That  is  just  the  reason  we  should  keep 
them  up  here  while  we  can  !" 

The  music  is  very  fine,  but  church-like  and  simple.  In- 
deed, I  have  not  heard  operatic  squalling  in  any  European 
church.  The  organs  are  especially  fine,  and  are  not  tor- 
mented by  constant  and  sensational  changing  of  the  stops,  as 
are  many  of  their  diminutive  brethren  in  America.  The 
lack  of  strain  or  effort  in  the  music,  is  positively  restful. 
The  ordinary  American  choir  is  always*  after  "  something 
new,"  and,  if  within  their  ability  to  execute  well,  they  don't 
want  it  at  all.  Their  great  ambition  is  to  wrestle  in  church 
with  anthems  several  sizes  too  big  for  them.  The  excuse  for 
inflicting  this  misery  on  the  congregation  usually  is,  that 
practicing  difficult  music  increases  their  musical  proficiency, 


FRENCH    DRIVERS.  145 

in  other  words,  that  thereby  they  are  learning  something. 
The  reverse  of  this  is  generally  true  ;  there  is  more  musical 
culture  gained  by  singing  simple  music  finely  than  by  singing 
at  the  most  difficult  music  in  the  world.  The  athlete  gains 
muscle  by  practicing  with  a  club  he  can  handle  easily  and 
gracefully.  Suppose  he  had  commenced  physical  culture  by 
trying  to  lift  a  locomotive  ;  it  would  have  been  as  sensible 
as  for  choirs  of  very  limited  ability  and  culture  to  undertake 
the  music  to  which  many  of  such  choirs  in  America  aspire. 

In  the  streets  of  Paris  but  few  finely  dressed  women  are 
met,  and  my  guide  assures  me  that,  "  when  you  meet  a  finely 
dressed  lady  in  the  street,  she  is  either  a  foreigner  or  a  pros- 
titute." I  was  shocked  at  this  coupling  of  foreigners  with 
the  disreputable  class  named,  but  the  statement  no  doubt  has 
much  of  truth  in  it.  French  women  keep  their  fine  dresses 
for  home,  the  ball,  the  opera,  but  not  the  street.  What  an 
amount  of  self  denial  it  would  require  of  the  beautiful  wo- 
men who  parade  the  streets  of  our  large  cities,  gay  as  butter- 
flies, to  adopt  the  French  style, — which  after  all  seems  more 
sensible. 

Pedestrians  seem  to  have  no  rights  that  a  driver  is  bound 
to  respect.  French  drivers  will  shout  and  swear,  but  it  is  all 
they  will  do  ;  the  idea  of  turning  out  never  occurs  to  them, 
and  the  endangered  pedestrian  must  look  out  for  himself. 
"  What  do  your  courts  do  when  a  man  gets  run  over  ?"  I 
asked.  "Fine  the  man  that  gets  run  over,"  was  the  prompt 
reply.  A  Parisian  driver  would  be  at  once  arrested  in  Mich- 
igan for  cruelty.  They  crack  their  whips  with  a  noise  re- 
sembling the  firing  of  musketry,  and  as  if  cutting  the  hor- 
ses to  pieces.  I  was  indignant  at  this,  till  I  found  that  the 
horses  were  untouched  during  the  entire  performance  ;  and 
as  it  seemed  to  do  the  driver  a  vast  amount  of  good,  and  not 
hurt  the  horses,  I  got  used  to  it. 

I  have  been  accustomed  to  regard  the  French  as  a  won- 


146  IN    THE    STREETS. 

derfully  active  and  energetic  people.  Their  gesticulations, 
and  the  force  displayed  in  even  ordinary  conversation,  had 
deceived  me  in  this  regard.  I  have  looked  in  vain  for  an 
active  or  busy  mechanic,  or  laborer  working  on  the  streets, 
or  buildings,  or  public  gardens.  A  slower  class  of  people  I 
have  never  seen,  and  I  am  inclined  to  think  they  must  work 
off  their  surplus  energy  in  conversation.  I  wratched  a  gang 
of  hands  this  morning  repairing  a  street,  and  it  induced  a 
sort  of  home  feeling.  I  almost  imagined  myself  in  Michi- 
gan, looking  at  a  gang  of  hands  "  soldiering,"  under  the 
fostering  care  of  a  street  commissioner. 

Desiring  to  see  the  streets  of  Paris  as  they  appear  on  a 
week  night,  I  started  out  early  in  the  evening,  and  alone,  to 
take  notes.  In  most  large  cities  a  majority  of  the  stores 
close  early  in  the  evening,  and  the  streets,  after  the  lamps  are 
lighted,  present  a  deserted  appearance.  But  here,  the  light- 
ing of  the  lamps  or  electric  lights,  and  of  the  places  of  busi- 
ness, is  the  signal  for  a  general  stampede  of  carriages  and 
pedestrians,  to  the  more  attractive  streets.  The  Boulevards 
des  Italiens  and  Capucines,  and  Avenue  de  1'Opera,  seem  es- 
pecially brilliant  and  thronged.  Those  great  thoroughfares, 
like  most  of  the  other  fifty  boulevards,  are  very  wide  ;  I 
should  estimate  the  sidewalks  at  thirty-five  feet  each,  and 
the  carriage-way,  which  is  of  asphaltum,  about  ninety  feet 
wide.  There  is  a  continuous  stream  of  carriages  going  in 
each  direction,  and  all  carrying  two  bright  lights,  so  that 
looking  down  one  of  these  grand  avenues  it  seems  like  a  gor- 
geous torchlight  procession.  The  sidewalks  are  full  of  pe- 
destrians, and  the  chairs  in  front  of  the  cafes  are  all  oc- 
cupied ;  but  for  a  few  centimes  I  rent  a  chair  by  the  curb- 
stone, and  sit  down  to  rest  and  gaze  at  the  gay  procession 
which  occupies  the  carriage-way  and  sidewalks.  The  only 
difference  I  can  see  between  Sunday  night  and  Tuesday 
night  is  that  a  wealthier  class  seem  to  be  out.  The  middle 


AN    AMERICAN    GIRL.  147 

and  poorer  classes,  who  have  their  holiday  on  Sunday,  are 
not  seen  in  such  numbers,  but  there  are  more  people  on  the 
boulevards.  Passing  down  the  Avenue  de  1'Opera,  brilliant 
as  gas  and  electricity  can  make  it,  to  the  Jardin  du  Palais 
Royal,  I  walk  around  the  arcades  and  shops  which  surround 
it.  Here  are  about  200  small  jewelry  and  diamond  stores, 
close  as  they  can  be  packed  together  in  arcades.  Each  of  the 
small  outer  arches  has  its  brilliant  gas  jets,  and  the  little 
shops  are  blazing  with  gold  and  silver  and  gilt,  and  pre- 
cious and  other  stones.  How  200  of  these  jewelry  and  fan- 
cy stores  can  flourish  side  by  side  I  do  not  know  ;  but  their 
windows  are  a  marvel  of  neatness  and  taste,  and  the  propri- 
etors look  comfortable  and  happy.  Returning  to  my  hotel 
at  eleven  o'clock,  I  observed  no  diminution  of  numbers  in 
the  streets  or  cafes. 

Our  party  from  London  included  an  American  girl  from 
Missouri,  nineteen  years  old,  and  traveling  alone.  Stopping 
at  the  same  hotel  for  a  couple  of  days,  I  learned  from  some 
ladies  of  our  party  who  became  interested  in  her,  that  she 
had  but  little  money,  and  had  started  for  Paris  "  on  her  own 
hook,"  to  complete  her  studies  in  French  and  music.  At  the 
end  of  the  two  days  she  had  secured  a  cheap  boarding  place 
at  six  dollars  per  month,  and  made  arrangements  as  to  les- 
sons. A  more  striking  example  of  female  foolishness  I  nev- 
er saw.  Her  English  education  was  evidently  only  begun. 
She  talked  and  acted  like  the  ordinary  country  girl,  who  has 
had  only  the  advantages  of  a  district  school.  I  heard  her 
at  the  piano,  with  a  book  of  Gospel  Hymns  before  her. 
Her  voice  had  most  of  the  bad  qualities,  and  she  had  about 
reached  the  "  Hold  the  Fort  !"  stage  in  musical  progress, 
with  a  fair  prospect  of  reaching  "Grandfather's  Clock,"  or 
possibly  "The  Maiden's  Prayer."  And  yet  she  had  come 
from  the  far  distant  west,  friendless  and  alone,  to  "  complete 
her  education  !"  She  excited  the  sympathy  and  pity  of  our 


148 


CAUSE    OF    GRATITUDE. 


party.  As  she  left  the  hotel  for  her  boarding  house,  a  Meth- 
odist minister,  who  had  become  interested  in  her  on  account 
of  her  unprotected  loneliness,  startled  me  by  ejaculating 
with  true  Methodist  fervor,  "  Thank  God,  she's  homely !" 
and  the  wag  of  our  party  surprised  me  by  an  equally  fervent 
and  serious  "Amen  !" 


149 


CHAPTER  IX. 

PARIS. 

Champs  Elysees— Bois  de  Boulogne— Palace  of  St.  Cloud— Versailles— Grand 
Trianon— State  Carriages— Dejeuner— The  Grand  Pal?  ce— Grand  Apart- 
ments—Paintings— Theater  and  Church— Sevres  and  its  Museum —Hotel 
de  Ville— Halles  Centrales— The  Tuileries— Place  du  Carrousel— The  Lux- 
embourg— The  Louvre — Galleries  —  Egyptian  Department— Museum  of 
Curiosities-r-Place  de  la  Bastille- Porte  St.  Martin— Column  Vendome  — 
Gobelins— Jottings— Taxation— Future  of  Paris. 

Versailles  is  twelve  miles  from  Paris,  and  in  company 
with  a  number  of  Americans,  I  devoted  a  day  to  visiting 
its  palaces,  parks  and  gardens.  A  convenient  and  quite 
showy  vehicle,  a  sort  of  tourists'  van,  drawn  by  four  horses, 
made  quite  an  imposing  turn-out  and  accommodated  our 
entire  party.  We  drive  through  the  Place  de  la  Concorde 
and  enter  the  Champs  Elysees,  a  noble  avenue  and  pleasure 
ground,  about  eighty  rods  wide.  We  proceed  quite  slowly, 
to  take  in  the  various  objects  of  interest,  and  enjoy  the  fine 
view  of  central  Paris,  its  palaces  and  pleasure  grounds.  We 
pass  on  the  south  side  the  Palais  de  1'Industrie,  erected  in 
1855,  by  a  company,  for  the  first  exhibition,  and  now  owned 
by  the  government.  It  contains  at  present  an  exhibition 
of  electrical  apparatus  and  inventions,  from  all  nations,  in 
which  America  is  said  to  be  well  represented.  Nearly  op- 
posite is  the  Palais  de  1*  Elysee,  originally  the  residence 
of  Madame  Pompadour,  and  after  its  purchase  by  the 
government  known  as  the  Elysee  Bourbon.  It  is  now  the 
official  residence  of  the  French  president.  Theaters,  cafes, 
concert  gardens  and  other  places  of  amusements  have  found 
a  place  on  either  side  of  the  wide  carriage-ways,  till  we  reach 
Rond-Point,  where  the  avenue  becomes  narrower  and  ends 


150  THE    BOIS    DE    BOULOGNE. 

at  the  Arc  de  Triumphe,  about  a  mile  from  the  Place  de 
la  Concorde. 

On  passing  the  Arc  we  enter  the  Avenue  du  Bois  de 
Boulogne,  about  twenty-five  rods  wide,  with  a  carriage- 
way in  the  centre,  a  riding  course  on  one  side,  and  alley 
for  pedestrians  on  the  other.  Once  outside  of  the  forti- 
fications we  have  a  fine  view  of  the  great  fortress  of 
Mont  Valerien,  and  enter  the  magnificent  park  and  pleasure 
ground  known  as  the  Bois  de  Boulogne,  containing  2,250 
acres.  It  was  formerly  a  dense  forest,  and  had  a  bad 
reputation  as  a  hiding  place  for  criminals.  In  1814-15, 
during  its  occupation  by  the  allied  armies,  much  of  its 
wood  was  cut  down  or  destroyed.  The  Emperor  Na- 
poleon III.  did  "much  to  restore  and  beautify  it,  and  in 
1852  presented  it  to  the  City  of  Paris,  on  condition  that 
$500,000  should  be  expended  on  it,  and  that  it  should 
be  thereafter  maintained  by  the  city.  During  the  siege 
of  1870-1  it  was  much  injured  and  many  of  the  trees  cut 
down.  It  has  since  been  restored'  and  improved,  and  is 
now  the  favorite  park  and  pleasure  ground  of  Paris. 
There  are  a  number  of  lakes,  and  several  cascades — some 
of  them  of  considerable  height,  well  supplied  with  water, 
and  arranged  so  as  to  produce  the  best  possible  effect. 
Winding  paths  through  shady  groves,  with  an  abundance 
of  comfortable  benches,  furnish  retreats  for  weary  pedes- 
trians, while  the  fine  broad  carriage-wavs,  are  occupied 
during  all  hours  of  the  day  by  the  gay  equipages  of  the 
rich,  and  plainer  vehicles  of  the  poor.  A  number  of 
Swiss  cottages  furnish,  at  a  moderate  cost,  refreshments  for 
hungry  or  thirsty  pleasure  seekers.  At  the  head  of  one 
of  the  beautiful  lakes  is  the  great  race-course  of  Long- 
champs,  containing  about  150  acres,  and  fitted  up  in  the 
most  costly  manner,  where  during  the  season,  races  are 
held  every  Sunday  afternoon  ! 


VERSAILLES.  151 

Passing  through  Boulogne,  a  place  of  20,000  inhabi- 
tants, we  cross  the  Seine  and  are  in  St.  Cloud,  with  a 
population  of  about  5,000.  The  Palace  of  St.  Cloud  was 
a  favorite  residence  of  the  Bonapartes.  During  the  siege 
of  Paris  it  was  occupied  as  a  military  post  by  the  Ger- 
mans, and  was  set  on  fire  by  shells  thrown  by  the  French 
fortress  of  Mont  Valerien  ;  only  its  blackened  walls  re- 
main. Its  ruins  indicate  that  it  must  have  been  a  beauti- 
ful and  imposing  building.  It  was  here  that  the  Council  of 
Five  Hundred  met,  in  1799,  to  be  dispersed  by  General 
Bonaparte  and  his  grenadiers.  In  1815  it  was  the  head- 
quarters of  Blucher  and  in  it  the  second  capitulation  of 
Paris  was  signed.  It  was  the  favorite  summer  residence  of 
Napoleon  III.,  who  entertained  Queen  Victoria  at  St. 
Cloud,  on  her  visit  to  Paris,  in  1855.  The  town  seems  to 
have  suffered  more  severely  than  any  other  of  the  suburbs 
of  Paris  during  the  siege,  especially  from  the  guns  of  Mont 
Valerien.  The  spacious  barracks  in  the  vicinity,  and  many 
houses,  indeed  whole  squares,  were  destroyed  by  the  French 
in  their  attempts  to  silence  the  batteries  erected  by  the  Ger- 
mans at  St.  Cloud. 

Approaching  Versailles  by  a  very  wide  street,  we  pass 
through  a  noble  avenue  of  lime  trees  of  large  and  uniform 
size,  and  tastefully  trimmed  to  represent  arches.  The  place 
has  a  wonderfully  quiet  and  sleepy  appearance,  and  I  am 
told  subsists  on  the  recollections  of  its  dead  past,  being 
largely  supported  by  sight  seers,  and  by  the  people  of  Paris, 
who  delight  to  visit  its  palaces  and  pleasure  grounds.  Louis 
XIV.  seems  to  have  selected  the  site  of  Versailles  without 
any  reference  to  fitness.  To  create  a  palace  and  park  that 
would  command  the  admiration  of  Europe,  he  expended 
the  enormous  sum  of  two  hundred  million  dollars  !  The  ex- 
pense of  constructing  and  maintaining  the  vast  establish- 
ment is  said  to  have  been  the  principal  cause  of  the  first 


152  LE    GRAND    TRIANON. 

revolution.  Louis  XVI.  saw  the  palace  sacked  by  a  Paris- 
ian mob,  and  was  compelled  with  his  family  to  abandon 
Versailles  and  accept  a  residence  at  the  Tuileries.  In  the 
revolution  which  followed  the  Palace  of  Versailles  would 
have  been  sold  had  it  been  possible  to  find  a  purchaser. 
Since  that  time  it  has  not  been  used  as  a  permanent  resi- 
dence of  royalty.  Napoleon  neglected  it,  owing,  it  is  said,  to 
the  vast  expense  its  repair  and  furnishing  would  have  en- 
tailed. Louis  Philippe  repaired  it,  converting  the  greater 
part  of  it  into  an  historical  art  gallery.  During  the  siege  of 
Paris  it  was  the  headquarters  of  the  King  of  Prussia,  and  it 
was  here  that  by  unanimous  vote  of  the  German  States  he 
was  saluted  Emperor  of  Germany.  After  the  departure  of 
the  German  troops  Versailles  became  the  seat  of  Govern- 
ment, and  it  was  from  here  that  McMahon  directed  the  at- 
tack on  the  city  of  Paris,  then  in  the  hands  of  the  Com- 
munists. 

We  first  visited  one  of  the  minor  palaces,  known  as  Le 
Grand  Trianon.  It  is  about  half  a  mile  north-west  of  the 
Grand  Palace,  and  is  an  exceedingly  handsome  villa  of  one 
story,  originally  in  the  form  of  a  horse-shoe,  to  which  wings 
have  been  added.  It  was  built  by  Louis  XIV.  for  his  mis- 
tress, Madame  de  Maintenon,  and  is  principally  interesting 
as  a  favorite  residence  of  Napoleon  and  Josephine.  There 
are  numerous  valuable  paintings  and  choice  pieces  of  sculp- 
ture, which  I  shall  not  describe.  The  decorations  are  ex- 
ceedingly rich  and  to  my  mind  exhibit  rare  good  taste. 
Among  the  older  rooms  are  Louis  XIVs'.  reception  room, 
breakfast  room,  and  smoking  room,  with  the  original  furni- 
ture. Coming  down  to  Napoleon  I.  we  have  his  reception 
room,  sitting  room,  work  room,  billiard  room,  bath  room, 
and  bed  room  with  the  original  furniture  and  decorations  as 
when  used  by  him.  In  the  council  room  is  a  table,  covered 
with  faded  velvet,  on  which  was  signed  the  fatal  divorce 


,      THE     STATE    CARRIAGES.  153 

which  broke  the  heart  of  Josephine  and  dimmed  forever 
the  star  of  Napoleon.  Trie  bed  room  of  the  Empress  Jose- 
phine, with  the  original  bed  and  furniture,  as  when  occu- 
pied by  her,  excited  more  interest  in  our  party  than  all  else 
the  Trianon  contained.  That  the  memory  of  the  divorced 
and  degraded  wife  should  possess  more  interest,  and  be  re- 
garded with  a  more  kindly  feeling,  than  that  of  her  Imperial 
husband,  or  of  the  Austrian  Princess  who  succeeded  her  as 
Empress  of  France,  may  have  a  moral  for  husbands  who 
contemplate  a  divorce,  or  for  women  willing  to  accept  a 
man  mean  enough  to  discard  a  faithful  wife  merely  to  make 
room  for  her  successor. 

Near  the  Grand  Trianon  is  a  building  known  as.  the 
Musee  des  Voitures,  being  a  collection  of  state  carriages, 
from  the  time  of  the  first  empire.  They  are  fine  specimens 
of  gilding,  carving  and  upholstery.  There  is  the  carriage  of 
Napoleon  as  First  Consul,  used  by  Josephine  after  her  di- 
vorce. The  grand  coronation  carriage  of  Napoleon  I.,  used 
also  at  the  marriage  of  Napoleon  and  Josephine.  The  car- 
riage of  Napoleon  and  Maria  Louisa.  A  beautiful  carriage 
for  the  young  King  of  Rome,  son  of  Napoleon  I.,  and  used  at 
the  marriage  of  Napoleon  and  Eugenie.  The  carriage  of 
Count  de  Chambourd,  used  by  Queen  Victoria  and  Prince 
Albert  on  their  visit  to  Paris.  And  most  gorgeous  of  all, 
the  carriage  of  Charles  X.,  which  cost  $200,000,  restored 
and  regilded  for  the  baptism  of  the  Prince  Imperial,  son 
of  Napoleon  III.  There  is  a  very  large  collection  of  har- 
nesses from  the  time  of  Louis  XIV.,  exhibited  in  show 
cases  ;  three  curious  looking  things  called  sledges,  owned 
by  Louis  XIV.;  and  probably  the  most  interesting  relic 
of  all — the  sedan  chair  of  Marie  Antoinette,  adorned  with 
gold  and  embroidery.  Many  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
dollars  are  represented  in  this  grand  carriage  house,  and 
crowds  of  French  people,  who  seem  to  regard  with  won- 


154  THE    GRAND    PALACE. 

derful  veneration  these  relics  of  the  past,  fill  the  building. 
And  yet  no  living  French  statesman  or  soldier  dare  ride 
in  such  a  carriage  to-day,  so  jealous  are  the  mob  of  every- 
thing that  betokens  royalty.  I  am  told  that  in  deference 
to  public  opinion  the  president  of  the  republic  uses  a 
plain  carriage,  with  but  two  horses,  while  some  of  the 
state  carriages  I  have  described  were  drawn  by  ten.  The 
hour  for  dejeuner,  regarded  as  a  sort  of  second  break- 
fast, having  arrived,  our  party  with  the  exception  of  my- 
self and  another,  were  driven  to  a  restaurant.  We  had  a 
disagreeable  remembrance  of  the  dejeuner  of  the  day  be- 
fore, and  had  provided  ourselves  with  a  substantial  lunch, 
with  the  ingredients  of  which  we  considered  ourselves 
reasonably  familiar — assorted  biscuits,  cake,  and  ginger- 
bread, Swiss  '  cheese,  and  delicious  French  plums.  We 
wended  our  way  to  the  small  lake  and  large  fountains  in 
the  garden,  fronting  the  Grand  Palace,  and  seated  our- 
selves near  the  colossal  Neptunes,  Tritons,  and  Nymphs. 
There  were  groves  and  orangeries  on  either  side,  and  we 
had  a  fine  view  of  the  palace,  its  gardens  and  terraces. 
I  enjoyed  my  out-door  lunch  exceedingly,  wondering 
what  Louis  XIV.,  XV.,  or  XVI.,  would  think,  if  from  the 
windows  of  the  king's  room,  near  to  which  we  were  sit- 
ting, they  could  look  on  us,  irreverent  Americans,  eating 
our  lunch  in  the  most  prominent  spot  in  their  flower 
garden. 

We  rejoined  our  party  and  all  proceeded  to  the  Grand 
Palace  of  Versailles.  I  confess  to  a  feeling  of  weariness 
as  I  surveyed  the  front  of  the  vast  edifice,  over  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  long,  with  its  375  windows.  It  is  three  stories 
high,  and  has  in  the  center  a  projection  of  300  feet  front. 
Our  guide  had  already  informed  us  that  seven  miles  of 
pictures  were  exhibited  here,  and  I  felt  discouraged  at 
the  prospect.  The  palace  was  first  converted  into  an 


p 


HISTORICAL    PAINTINGS.  155 

historical  museum  by  Louis  Philippe,  who  placed  here 
choice  historical  paintings,  taken  from  the  Louvre  and 
other  palaces,  and  purchased  fine  paintings  from  living 
artists.  He  is  said  to  have  expended  over  three  million 
dollars,  and  since  that  time  subsequent  governments  have 
expended  large  sums  in  the  same  way.  A  few  paragraphs 
describing  a  short  visit  will  be  quite  as  unsatisfactory  to 
myself  as  to  my  readers,  but  it  is  all  that  is  possible  un- 
der the  circumstances. 

On  the  ground  floor  are  about  twenty  rooms,  contain- 
ing portraits  of  the  marshals,  generals  and  admirals  of 
France.  These  rooms,  like  all  others  in  the  palace,  have 
their  ceilings  decorated  with  paintings  of  an  historical 
or  allegorical  character.  The  room  of  the  kings*  contains 
portraits  of  sixty-seven  of  the  monarchs  of  France,  from 
Clovis  I.  to  Napoleon  III.,  and  has  a  fine  bronze  statue 
of  Napoleon  I.  The  gallery  of  Louis  XIII.  contains 
mostly  battle  scenes,  and  has  statues  of  Louis  XIII.  and 
his  queen.  The  gallery  of  the  empire  has  thirteen  rooms 
devoted  to  pictures  illustrating  the  campaigns  of  Napoleon 
I.  The  gallery  of  the  history  of  France  contains  eleven 
rooms  with  historical  paintings  from  Charlemagne  to  Louis 
XVI.  The  gallery  of  the  Crusades  has  five  rooms  devoted 
to  battles  of  the  crusaders,  in  which  the  taking  of  Jerusalem 
is  several  times  illustrated.  In  one  of  the  rooms  is  a  mortar 
from  Rhodes,  and  the  gates^of  the  hospital  of  St.  John,  of 
that  place,  presented  by  the  Sultan  of  Turkey.  There  are 
several  extensive  galleries  of  sculpture,  besides  busts  and 
statues  in  rooms  not  devoted  to  sculpture.  They  consist 
mainly  of  statues  and  busts  of  distinguished  Frenchmen, 
with  a  few  historical  groups. 

What  are  known  as  the  grand  apartments  occupy  the 
whole  of  the  first  floor  of  the  central  projection,  to  which 
we  now  ascend,  and  are  nearly  all  ornamented  with  paint- 
9 


156  THE    GRAND    APARTMENTS. 

ings  illustrating  the  life  of  Louis  XIV.  We  pass  through 
more  than  a  dozen  rooms,  containing  choice  paintings  and 
statuary,  among  them  a  ball-room,  state  bedroom  and 
throne  room,  into  one  of  the  finest  rooms  in  the  world,  the 
Grande  Galerie  of  Louis  XIV.  This  magnificent  room  is 
230  feet  long,  35  feet  wide  and  25  feet  high.  The  ceiling  is 
richly  decorated  by  the  painter  LeBrun,  with  about  twenty 
large  pictures,  illustrating  the  victories  of  Louis  XIV.  This 
long  room  fronts  on  the  garden  and  has  seventeen  high 
arched  windows;  opposite  each  window  is  a  mirror  with  a 
gilded  frame.  Between  the  mirrors,  which  are  of  immense 
size,  almost  covering  the  entire  wall,  are  Corinthian  pilasters 
of  red  marble,  with  niches  containing  statues.  To  walk 
through  this  room,  mirrors,  gilding,  and  marble  on  one  side, 
the  choicest  paintings  overhead,  and  the  gardens,  lakes, 
fountains,  statues,  terraces,  orangeries,  and  park  of  Ver- 
sailles, as  seen  through  the  seventeen  large  windows  on  the 
other  side,  is  to  have  enlarged  ideas  of  beauty  and  grandeur. 
It  was  in  -this  magnificent  room  the  King  of  Prussia  was 
proclaimed  Emperor  of  Germany  in  1871.  I  wonder  if  the 
old  soldier  did  not  glance  upward  and  smile  at  some  of  the 
scenes  overhead  illustrating  French  victories  over  the 
Germans. 

The  bed  chamber  of  Louis  XIV.  has  been  called  the 
"Gem  of  the  Palace."  Its  decorations  may  well  be  called 
gorgeous,  and  it  contains  the  richly  adorned  bed  on  which 
the  king  died,  its  drapery  embroidered  by  Mme.  de  Main- 
tenon.  The  furniture  is  largely  in  tortoise-shell  and  gold. 
It  was  from  a  balcony  off  this  room  that,  on  September  i, 
1715,  as  the  last  sigh  quivered  on  the  lips  of  the  dying  king, 
the  eager  chamberlain  broke  his  official  wand,  saying,  "  The 
King  is  dead,"  and  in  the  same  breath,  seizing  another 
wand,  exclaimed  to  the  crowd  below,  "Live  the  King."  The 
plaudits  of  the  assembled  courtiers  showed  that  their  only 


ROOMS    OF    MARIE    ANTOINETTE.  157 

feeling  in  regard  to  the  king's  death,  was  to  transfer  their 
allegiance  and  enjoy  the  favor  of  his  successor.  The  story, 
though  often  told,  has  still  its  moral,  and  not  for  kings  only. 

The  bedroom  of  Marie  Antoinette,  in  which  she  was 
asleep,  and  from  which  she  narrowly  escaped,  when,  in 
1789,  a  Parisian  mob  burst  into  the  palace,  is  both  beautiful 
and  interesting.  An  extra  fee  introduced  me  to  the  private 
apartments  of  Marie  Antoinette,  mostly  quite  small  and 
finely  furnished,  among  them  the  maids  of  honor  room, 
boudoir,  red  and  blue  library  room,  bath  room,  and  saloon 
of  the  queen,  also  the  salle  des  valets,  where  the  queen's 
guards  were  butchered  by  the  mob.  On  this  floor  is  the 
Galerie  des  Batailles,  400  feet  long,  containing  large  pictures 
illustrating  the  battles  of  France,  from  the  fifth  to  the  nine- 
teenth century;  also  busts  of  about  a  hundred  celebrated 
generals  who  have  fallen  in  battle.  The  gallery  of  Constan- 
tine  has  seven  rooms,  containing  many  fine  pictures,  espe- 
cially a  series  of  battle  scenes  by  Vernet — subjects  modern, 
mostly  in  the  Crimea,  Algiers,  Italy  and  Mexico.  The 
second  historical  gallery  contain  ten  rooms,  with  scenes 
from  1800  to  1835.  Eight  rooms,  formerly  known  as  the 
queen's  apartments,  contain  fine  pictures,  some  of  them 
very  valuable,  as  for  instance  the  coronation  of  Napoleon  I. 
by  David,  costing  $20,000.  And  yet  there  is  another  floor 
to  which  I  ascended,  and  through  the  almost  interminable 
rooms  of  which  I  dragged  myself,  but  shall  not  drag  my 
readers — pictures,  pictures  as  before,  till  the  eyes  can  hardly 
discern  colors,  and  the  tired  mind  fails  to  receive  a  distinct 
impression  of  any  kind. 

Of  the  outside  attractions  of   Versailles  it  is  difficult  to 
speak.     Language  can  convey  but  a  faint  idea  of  its  mag- 
nificent parks,  gardens  and  terraces ;  its  groves,  orangeries, 
flowers  and  green-sward  ;  its  lakes,  grottoes  and  fountains 
and  the  splendid  works  of  art  by  which  they  are  adorned. 


158  SEVRES. 

Indeed,  it  is  sometimes  difficult  to  tell  where  nature  ends 
and  art  begins.  The  extravagant  and  luxurious  style  on 
which  the  .great  palace  was  planned,  may  I  think  be  well 
illustrated  by  the  fact  that  it  contains  both  a  church  and 
theater.  The  latter  is  a  splendid  affair,  capable  of  seating 
2,000  persons.  The  church  is  114  by  60  feet,  has  one  of 
the  finest  organs  in  France,  and  as  to  decorations  can  hardly 
be  surpassed.  To  be  able  to  attend  church  or  theater  with- 
out stepping  outdoors  seemed  just  the  thing  to  the  old 
French  king,  and  he  built  on  so  vast  a  scale  that  neither 
church  nor  theater  are  more  prominent  than  a  billiard  room 
or  study  in  a  modern  residence  of  the  first-class. 

We  returned  from  Versailles  by  way  of  Sevres,  a  town 
over  1,300  years  old  and  containing  about  5,000  inhabi- 
tants. It  is  celebrated  for  its  porcelain  manufacture,  owned 
and  operated  by  the  government  since  1759.  It  is  in  a  large 
and  handsome  new  building,  employs  180  hands,  and  has  a 
large  and  most  interesting  museum.  The  legend  over  the 
door,  "Musee  Ceramique,"  had  a  chilling  effect,  as  I  never 
took  any.stock  in  old  cups  and  saucers,  and  wash-bowls;  my 
particular  insanity  runs  in  the  direction  of  old  coins.  Most 
of  the  things  looked  bright  and  new,  but  more  gorgeous  and 
expensive  than  anything  I  had  ever  seen.  Tea  sets,  $3,000 
to  $4,000  ;  copies  of  the  paintings  of  Raphael,  Michael 
Angelo,  Titian  and  other  great  painters,  on  Sevres  ware, 
and  durable  and  unfading  as  the  porcelain,  $5,000  to  $10,- 
ooo  each.  There  are  also  specimens  from  all  countries  of 
clay,  earthenware  and  china,  showing  the  progress  of  inven- 
tion and  forming  a  complete  history  of  the  art.  The  estab- 
lishment has  never  paid  expenses,  being  devoted  largely  to 
experiments  of  which  private  manufacturers  have  the 
benefit. 

The  Hotel  de  Ville  is  the  city  hall  of  Paris.  The  very 
large  square  in  which  it  is  situated  has  a  peculiar  history, 


THE    HALLES    CENTRALES.  159 

being  anciently,  and  down  to  the  time  of  the  revolution,  the 
place  of  execution  of  noted  criminals.  In  the  first  revolu- 
tion the  thud  of  the  guillotine  knife  was  heard  here  during 
all  hours  of  the  day.  It  was  in  the  hotel  that  the  revolu- 
tionary leaders  of  1789  had  their  headquarters,  and  from 
its  steps  Louis  Blanc  proclaimed  the  revolution  of  1848. 
During  the  seige  by  the  Germans  it  was  the  seat  of  the 
government  of  the  defence  and  later  the  headquarters  of 
the  Communists.  In  May,  1871,  a  few  days  before  their 
overthrow,  the  ringleaders  stored  gunpowder  and  petroleum 
in  the  building,  which  they  had  strongly  fortified,  deter- 
mined to  destroy  if  they  could  not  hold  it.  After  a  fearful 
struggle  in  the  Place  and  surrounding  streets,  lasting  twenty- 
four  hours,  the  Communists  were  defeated  ;  in  their  rage, 
firing  the  neighboring  buildings  and  killing  the  occupants. 
In  their  haste  the  Hotel  de  Ville  was  fired  while  still  oc- 
cupied by  600  of  their  own  number,  who  either  perished  in 
the  flames  or  were  mercilessly  shot  down  by  the  national 
troops.  The  destruction  of  the  building  and  the  terrible 
massacre  which  accompanied  it,  as  related  to  me  by  an  eye- 
witness, who  pointed  out  the  localities  where  the  incidents 
occurred,  is  almost  too  terrible  for  belief.  "No  more  com- 
munism, or  anything  tending  in  that  direction,  on  my  plate," 
was  the  very  American  exclamation  of  a  gentleman  beside 
me  who  had  listened  to  the  story. 

The  Halles  Centrales,  or  central  market,  is  a  vast  iron 
structure,  and  consists  of  ten  pavilions,  between  which  run 
streets  about  fifty  feet  wide.  An  immense  roof  of  iron,  zinc 
and  glass,  covers  both  the  pavilions  and  streets,  the  entire 
area  of  both  being  about  twenty  acres.  The  cost  of  site 
and  buildings  was  twelve  million  dollars.  Each  pavilion 
contains  over  200  little  stalls,  about  five  by  eight  feet,  a 
few.  being  twice  this  size.  They  are  in  rows  close  together, 
with  a  passage  way  of  about  twelve  feet  between.  The  trade 


l6o  GARDEN    OF    THE    TUILERIES. 

is  classified,  one  section  being  for  meats,  another  poultry 
and  game,  another  fish,  another  vegetables,  etc.  Opposite 
each  subdivision  is  a  place  where  the  same  class  of  goods 
is  sold  at  wholesale,  and  auctioneers  and  clerks  were 
busy  making  sales  to  wholesale  customers.  Whole  hogs 
and  sheep,  and  quarters  of  beef  were  sold  rapidly  in  this 
way.  In  the  butter  department  a  lively  business  was  be- 
ing done.  It  is  wholesaled  in  lumps  of  forty  or  fifty 
pounds  ;  the  purchasers  come  armed  with  tasting  probes 
and  sales  are  quickly  made.  Hundreds  of  these  lumps 
lay  on  cloths  on  the  pavement,  were  passed  along  rapidly 
by  the  dealers  and  removed  by  porters  to  the  wagons 
outside.  If  the  Tower  of  Babel  was  worse  than  the  jab- 
bering I  heard  at  these  salesrooms,  I  am  glad  I  was  not 
there.  In  the  retail  department  things  moved  more  de- 
liberately. In  several  of  the  meat  stalls  the  word  "Cheval " 
informed  me  that  it  was  horse  meat.  My  attention  being 
thus  called  to  it,  I  could  see  that  it  was  of  a  slightly 
different  color  from  beef  ;  had  it  not  been  for  the  sign  I 
doubt  if  I  should  have  noticed  the  difference.  There  are 
1,200  apartments  in  the  cellar  below  the  market  where 
goods  may  be  stored,  and  tramways  extend,  partly  under- 
ground, to  the  railroad  that  runs  entirely  around  the  city 
just  inside  the  fortifications. 

The  garden  of  the  Tuileries  adjoins  the  Place  de  la  Con- 
corde on  the  east.  It  is  about  60  by  140  rods,  and  open 
to  the  public  during  most  hours  of  the  day.  The  site 
was  formerly  used  as  a  brick  yard  where  the  tiles,  fm7esf 
used  in  Paris  were  made.  Both  the  garden  and  palace 
have  retained  the  name  of  Tuileries.  It  sounds  grandly, 
to  English  speaking  people,  but  when  translated  tile-yard 
the  glamor  is  all  gone,  and  one  wonders  at  the  taste 
which  suggested  it.  The  garden  is  handsomely  laid  out 
with  fountains  and  water  basins,  and  numerous  marble  and 


PALACE    OF    THE    TUILERIES.  l6l 

bronze  statues.  One  of  the  walks  has  on  each  side  a  row  of 
orange  trees,  some  of  them  said  to  be  400  years  old.  On 
the  south  and  west  sides  are  terraces,  and  walls  surmounted 
by  gratings,  with  gilded  tops.  On  each  side  of  the  central 
walk  is  a  grove  of  trees,  under  the  shade  of  which  are  two 
marble  semi-circular  platforms,  built  in  ^93,  by  order  of 
Robespierre,  for  the  accommodation  of  the  Council  of  Old 
Men,  who  had  been  selected  to  preside  over  certain  games. 
At  the  east  end  of  the  garden  stands  the  ruins  of  the  great 
palace,  burned  by  the  Communists  in  1871.  Its  foundations 
were  laid  and  the  building  commenced  under  the  wicked 
Catharine  De  Medicis,  and  in  it  she  gave  a  fete  in  which 
were  introduced  scenes  intended  to  prepare  the  popular 
mind  for  the  massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew,  which  took  place 
four  days  later.  Louis  XIV.  resided  here  until  the  com- 
pletion of  the  Palace  of  Versailles.  During  the  revolutions 
which  have  taken  place  in  Paris  many  exciting  scenes  have 
occurred  at  the  Palace  of  the  Tuileries.  In  1792  the  palace 
was  attacked  by  an  armed  mob  of  revolutionists.  The  king 
and  his  family  secretly  quitted  the  palace,  which  was  de- 
fended by  a  Swiss  guard  of  nearly  2,000  men,  most  of  whom 
were  put  to  death  by  the  mob.  Napoleon  as  first  consul  and 
emperor  resided  here  and  enlarged  and  improved  the  build- 
ing and  grounds.  It  was  again  captured  by  the  mob  in  the 
revolution  of  1830.  In  1848,  at  the  approach  of  the  revolu- 
tionists, Louis  Philippe  and  family  fled  in  the  night  time  to 
St.  Cloud,  and  the  palace  was  for  ten  days  in  the  hands  of  the 
scum  of  Paris,  who  celebrated  their  success  by  orgies  of  the 
vilest  kind,  carrying  off  or  destroying  many  precious  works 
of  art.  Under  the  last  Napoleon  the  Tuileries  was  occu- 
pied by  the  imperial  court,  and  in  a  part  of  the  garden,  at 
that  time  reserved  from  the  public  gaze,  the  unfortunate 
prince  imperial  rode  his  velocipede  and  followed  his  toy 
train  of  cars,  watched  by  the  eyes  of  a  fond  father  and 


162  THE    PLACE    DU    CARROUSEL. 

mother,  who  saw  in  him  the  future  ruler  of  France.  But 
there  came  still  another  revolution  and  when  in  September, 
1870,  the  news  of  the  surrender  of  Sedan  was  received  in 
Paris,  another  mob  invaded  the  palace,  but  this  time  a 
peaceful  one.  The  emperor  was  n  captivity,  the  empress 
had  fled  for  shelter  and  protection,  under  the  guidance  of  an 
American  friend,  and  the  mob  satisfied  themselves  by  paint- 
ing caricatures  on  the  walls,  cutting  the  curtains  and  pic- 
tures and  writing  "  liberty,  equality,  fraternity  "  over  the 
doors.  During  the  siege  by  the  Germans  the  palace  re- 
mained uninjured.  After  the  German  evacuation  and  the 
seizure  of  the  city  by  the  Communists,  the  palace  was  used 
for  military  purposes,  and  when  their  cause  became  desper- 
ate its  destruction  was  decreed  by  a  council  of  their  leaders. 
Gunpowder,  petroleum  and  other  combustibles  were  placed 
in  all  parts  of  the  building,  and  while  the  national  troops 
were  storming  the  barricades  in  the  vicinity  the  Palace  of 
the  Tuileries  was  set  on  fire  and  destroyed. 

The  Place  du  Carrousel  is  east  of  the  Tuileries  and 
separated  from  it  by  an  iron  railing.  It  derived  its  name 
from  a  tournament  held  here  by  Louis  XIV.  It  is  open 
now  to  the  public  for  general  traffic,  is  a  very  busy  place, 
and  contains  the  Arc  du  Carrousel,  built  by  order  of  Na- 
poleon to  commemorate  his  victories  of  1805-6.  It  is  an 
imitation,  but  on  a  smaller  scale,  of  the  Arch  of  Severus,  at 
Rome.  It  has  three  arched  passage  ways,  and  is  tastefully 
embellished  by  Corinthian  columns,  and  reliefs,  showing 
the  victories  of  the  emperor.  The  arch  was  originally 
surmounted  by  the  celebrated  quadriga  from  St.  Marks, 
in  Venice,  brought  here  as  a  trophy,  but  sent  back  by 
the  Emperor  of  Austria  while  the  Allies  occupied  Paris  in 
1814.  It  is  now  crowned  by  a  quadriga  designed  by 
a  French  artist  and  erected  by  order  of  Louis  Philippe. 

The  palace  of  the  Luxembourg  is  south  of  the  Louvre, 


PALACE  OF  THE  LUXEMBOURG.  163 

on  the  other  side  of  the  Seine,  and  was  built,  in  1615-20, 
for  Marie  de  Medicis.  It  was  used  as  a  royal  residence 
till  the  revolution  of  1791,  when  it  was  turned  into  a 
states  prison  in  which  Beauharnois  and  his  wife,  Josephine, 
afterward  wife  of  Napoleon  I.,  Desmoulins,  Danton,  Rob- 
espierre, David  and  others,  were  confined.  It  was  used 
by  the  directory  and  afterwards  by  the  consulate.  Under 
the  first  empire  it  was  used  as  a  senate  chamber  and  after 
being  devoted  to  other  purposes  it  is  now  used  as  a  senate 
chamber  and  the  official  residence  of  the  president  of  the 
senate.  Part  of  the  building  is  used  as  a  museum  of  art,  to 
which  the  public  are  freely  admitted.  The  rooms  are  beauti- 
fully decorated  and  contain  paintings,  sculptures,  drawings 
and  engravings,  mostly  the  work  of  living  artists.  Ten 
years  after  the  artist's  death  the  works  of  the  most  dis- 
tinguished masters  are  transferred  to  the  Louvre  or  to 
provincial  galleries.  The  ambition  to  have  his  work  ex- 
hibited in  the  Louvre,  ten  years  after  death,  may  animate  a 
Frenchman  to  do  his  best  ;  I  doubt  if  the  average  Ameri- 
can could  draw  much  inspiration  from  a  source  so  re- 
motely and  indefinitely  in  the  future.  I  am  delighted 
with  the  pictures  and  sculptures  of  the  Luxembourg,  all 
new  and  clean,  and  all  dependent  on  their  merits  as  works 
of  art,  and  not  on  a  distinguished  name.  Some  members 
of  our  party  have  the  habit  of  collecting  around  every 
"  Gorregio  "  or  "  Titian  "  or  "  Rubens,"  even  if  every 
trace  of  beauty  and  design  had  long  since  faded  out  of 
the  canvas,  seeing  wonderful  "  effects  "  where  the  painter 
himself,  if  alive,  would  fail  to  discover  anything  except 
that  it  needed  re-painting.  I  cannot  lie  about  it  ;  I  con- 
fess the  clean  white  marble  and  bright  colors  and  fresh 
varnish  just  suit  my  fancy,  and  I  console  myself  with  the 
thought  that  after  the  bright  colors  have  faded  and  the 
marble  become  blackened  and  stained,  the  "  utterly  utter  " 


164  GARDEN    OF    THE    LUXEMBOURG. 

in  art  of  future  generations  will  worship  at  the  shrine 
of  many  of  these  paintings  and  sculptures  at  the  Luxem- 
bourg. 

The  garden  of  the  Luxembourg  is  beautiful;  its  marble 
fountains,  balustrades  and  steps,  make  it  resemble  an 
Italian  scene.  It  is  rich  in  modern  statuary,  largely  my- 
thological ;  but  I  noticed  on  one  of  the  terraces  an  in- 
teresting series  of  twenty  statues  of  distinguished  and 
good-looking  French  women,  they  look  best  in  stone,  that 
seemed  to  possess  more  interest  to  the  gentlemen  of  our 
party  than  the  gladiators  or  Mercury  or  fawns.  This 
garden  seems  to  be  more  frequented  than  any  other  in 
Paris.  Under  the  shade  of  its  trees  I  have  heard  two  of 
the  best  military  bands.  These  open  air  concerts  draw  a 
very  large  crowd,  mostly  women  and  children.  I  rented 
a  chair  for  the  moderate  sum  of  two  cents  and  greatly 
enjoyed  the  music,  as  apparently  did  everybody  else  ;  in- 
deed, enjoyment  seems  to  be  the  sole  purpose  of  the 
laughing  crowd.  Cakes  and  gingerbread  and  small  shows 
of  the  Punch  and  Judy  order,  on  the  outskirts,  gave  to 
the  scene  quite  a  holiday  appearance.  I  was  amused  at 
the  method  used  to  restrain  French  children.  Nurses  kept 
boys,  two  or  three  years  old,  in  check  by  a  ribbon  about 
four  feet  long,  one  end  attached  to  the  boy's  waistband  the 
other  held  in  the  nurse's  hand.  I  asked  a  western  gentle- 
man what  young  America  would  think  of  such  an  arrange- 
ment? He  insisted  that  a  bed-cord  and  hitching-post. would 
be  necessary  in  his  State,  which  probably  resembles  Michi- 
gan in  the  character  of  its  small  boys. 

The  place  in  Paris  where  its  richest  treasures  of  antiquity 
and  art  may  be  found  is  the  Palace  of  the  Louvre,  ad- 
joining the  Tuileries  on  the  east.  It  is  built  on  the  site  of  a 
former  fortress  and  palace,  of  which,  however,  no  trace  re- 
mains. The  foundations  of  the  south  wing  of  the  Louvre 


EnS.  Ly  E.G.  William  5   &     Bro.N.Y 


THE    LOUVRE.  165 

were  laid  by  Francis  I.,  in  1541,  and  completed  under 
Henry  II.,  but  first  occupied  as  a  residence  by  Catharine  de 
Medicis  and  her  son  Charles  IX.  From  that  time  to  the 
present  every  monarch  and  government  of  France,  the  revo- 
lutionist excepted,  has  enlarged  or  beautified  the  Louvre. 
The  first  Napoleon  expended  large  sums  in  its  restoration, 
while  the  additions  made  by  Napoleon  III.  alone  cost  fifteen 
millions  of  dollars.  It  has  been  the  scene  of  many  import- 
ant events.  It  was  from  a  window  of  the  south  wing  that 
the  signal  for  the  massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew  was  given, 
on  the  night  of  August  24^,  1572  ;  and  as  the  bell  of  the 
church  of  St.  Germain,  opposite  the  Louvre,  gave  the  pre- 
concerted signal,  by  its  tolling,  the  guards  marched  from 
the  court  below  to  murder  Admiral  Coligny,  the  first  Hugue- 
not victim.  A  window  is  shown  from  which  it  is  said 
Charles  IX.  fired  on  his  doomed  subjects  collected  below. 
In  1871  the  Louvre  was  fired  by  the  Communists,  the  wing 
next  to  the  Tuileries  being  badly  damaged  by  fire,  and  90,- 
ooo  volumes  and  many  precious  manuscripts  destroyed. 

The  eastern  front  of  the  Louvre  is,  I  think,  unequaled  by 
any  building  in  Paris.  Its  great  colonnade  is  considered 
the  finest  remaining  specimen  of  architecture  of  the  age  of 
Louis  XIV.,  and  is  composed  of  twenty-eight  double  Cor- 
inthian columns.  The  gateway  in  the  center  and  the  bronze 
gates  made  by  order  of  Napoleon,  impress  me  as  being  more 
beautiful  than  anything  of  the  kind  I  have  seen  in  Paris. 
This  front,  known  as  the  Colonnade  du  Louvre,  is  so  fre- 
quently illustrated  in  books  and  so  common  in  stereoscopic 
views  that  many  of  my  readers  must  be  familiar  with  its  ap- 
pearance. The  Louvre  proper  is  a  perfect  square,  each 
front  525  feet  long,  and  has  a  large  and  beautiful  inner 
court.  Its  older  part  has  been  used  as  a  museum  of  fine 
arts  since  the  revolution  of  1789.  In  1793  the  more  precious 
works  of  art,  distributed  among  the  palaces  and  chateaus 


l66  EGYPTIAN    DEPARTMENT. 

belonging  to  the  crown,  were  gathered  here.  During  the 
wars  of  the  republic  and  first* empire,  the  choicest  gems  of 
art  in  Europe  were  collected  by  the  armies  under  Napoleon 
and  placed  in  the  Louvre.  What  is  now  known  as  the 
Museum  of  the  Louvre  is  divided  into  sixteen  departments, 
containing  miles  of  galleries  and  shelves,  and  is  in  many  of 
its  departments  unrivaled.  'I  can  give  but  the  briefest 
sketch  of  an  entire  day  spent  among  the  treasures. 

The  galleries  contain  about  2,000  paintings,  by  the  great 
artists  of  the  world,  and  are  to  most  visitors  the  chief  attrac- 
tion. In  no  other  place  can  Raphael  be  so  well  studied, 
and  Titian  is  almost  equally  well  represented  ;  indeed,  a 
catalogue  would  be  a  list  of  the  great  painters  of  the  world. 
Before  a  painting  can  be  admitted  to  the  Louvre,  a  compet- 
ent jury  must  decide  that  it  is  worthy  of  that  honor,  and  if 
the  work  of  a  Frenchman,  the  artist  must  have  been  dead 
at  least  ten  years.  I  noted  some  of  the  paintings  which  most 
impressed  me,  among  them  Raphael's  "Holy  Family,"  and 
"  Madonna  and  Child  ;"  a  "  Beggar  Boy,"  "  Holy  Family  " 
and  "  Immaculate  Conception,"  by  Murillo,  the  latter  paint- 
ing purchased  of  Marshal  Soult,  probably  stolen  in  Spain, 
for  $135,000  ;  Rembrandt's  "  Supper  at  Emmaus  ;"  twenty- 
one  large  paintings  by  Rubens,  a  series  painted  for  Marie  de 
Medicis  ?  "  Holy  Family,"  by  Da  Vinci ;  Correggio's  "  Ju- 
piter and  Antiope  ;"  Titian's  "  Entombment  of  Christ ;"  and 
"  Marriage  at  Cana,"  by  Paul  Veronese.  Among  the  French 
painters  Claude  Lorraine,  Poussin,  Vernet,  Le  Brim,  Le 
Suer,  David  and  Delacroix,  are  most  largely  represented. 
The  glory  of  the  Louvre  is  not  the  number  or  size  of  its 
paintings,  but  that  all  are  gems  of  art. 

The  Egyptian  department  contains  a  very  large  and  varied 
collection  of  remains,  among  them  a  number  of  sphinxes, 
one  of  them  marked  as  ante-dating  Noah's  flood  by  at  least 
two  centuries.  On  its  sides  has  been  added  in  later  times 


THE  VENUS  OF    MILO.  167 

the  name  of  the  Pharaoh  of  the  Exodus,  whose  army  per- 
ished in  the  Red  Sea,  and  the  name  of  Shishak,  who  con- 
quered Rehoboam.  There  are  statues  from  500  to  1,500 
years  before  Christ  ;  among  them  a  colossal  statue  of  Setis 
I.,  son  of  the  Pharaoh  before  mentioned.  There  is  a  large  col- 
lection of  reliefs,  some  of  them  finely  colored.  The  sarcopha- 
gus of  Rameses  III.,  1,300  years  before  Christ,  is  shown,  and 
a  large  number  of  later  date,  beautifully  ornamented  with 
sculptures.  There  are  quite  a  number  of  monuments  to  sa- 
cred bulls,  with  the  date  of  their  death,  and  name  of  king 
reigning  at  the  time, — said  to  have  been  of  great  importance 
in  fixing  Egyptian  chronology.  Two  male  and  one  female 
figures,  with  their  hair  painted  black,  are,  according  to  the 
received  French  chronology  of  the  period,  assigned  by  the 
Bible  to  the  creation  of  man,  and  conceded  to  be  tfie  oldest 
portrait  figures  in  existence.  There  are  several  rooms  filled 
with  statues  and  reliefs,  illustrating  the  religious  belief  and 
forms  of  worship  of  the  Egyptians  ;  marbles  and  papyri 
with  interesting  inscriptions,  statues  of  gods  and  sacred  ani- 
mals, ivory  caskets,  gold  mummy  masks,  fine  linen  goods, 
sandals,  household  implements,  articles  for  the  toilet,  etc.  I 
was  interested  in  a  statuette  of  an  Egyptian  scribe,  with 
large  and  life-like  eyes  of  rock  crystal,  and  ante-dating 
the  flood  by  several  hundred  years. 

There  are  several  rooms  of  Assyrian  antiquities,  and 
rooms  devoted  to  Phoenician  remains;  rooms  of  ancient  sculp- 
tures, not  classified,  and  rooms  devoted  mostly  to  statues  of 
the  early  Roman  emperors.  The  Salle  de  Phidias  contains 
gems  of  art  of  the  age  of  that  greatest  of  Grecian  sculptors, 
and  there  are  quite  a  number  of  rooms  devoted  to  earlier 
and  later  sculptures — as  a  whole,  undoubtedly  one  of  the 
finest  collections  in  the  world.  Among  them  is  a  room  dedi- 
cated to  the  Venus  of  Milo,  claimed  to  be  the  most  precious 
treasure  of  the  Louvre.  On  the  same  principle  that  people 


l68  THE    GALERIE    D'APOLLON. 

ignorant  of  music  insist  on  becoming  enraptured  with  ear- 
splitting  and  horribly  murdered  music,  entirely  beyond  the 
comprehension  of  singers  or  audience,  I  suppose  I  ought  to 
have  gone  into  ecstacies  over  this  disfigured  and  dilapidated 
old  statue.  The  confession  may  be  ruinous  to  my  reputa- 
tion, but  I  could  really  see  nothing  about  it  to  especially  ad- 
mire. There  are  six  rooms  of  modern  sculpture,  containing 
some  beautiful  works  of  art.  Twelve  rooms  are  devoted  to 
mediaeval  antiquities,  consisting  of  ivory  and  wood  carving, 
terra  cotta  busts  and  reliefs,  medallions  in  wax,  glass,  and 
porcelain  ware,  bronzes,  Italian  majolica  paintings,  Floren- 
tine terra  cotta  reliefs,  vases,  tapestry  of  the  sixteenth  cen- 
tury with  scenes  from  the  book  of  Judges,  and  a  statue  of 
Peace  in  massive  silver,  presented  to  Napoleon  I.  by  the  city 
of  Paris. 

The  Galerie  d'  Apollon,  over  200  feet  long,  is  the  finest 
room  in  the  Louvre.  The  ceiling,  decorated  by  Le  Brun, 
Delacroix,  and  others,  has  nine  large  allegorical  paintings  ; 
and  the  panels  of  the  walls  are  adorned  with  portraits  of 
twenty-eight  celebrated  French  artists,  and  Gobelin  tapes- 
tries with  portraits  of  St.  Louis,  Francis  I.  and  Louis  XV. 
The  beautiful  furniture  in  this  room  is  mostly  of  Louis  XIV. 
The  glass  cases  contain  articles  of  antiquity,  relics,  gems, 
and  the  largest  and  most  valuable  collection  of  enamels  in 
the  world.  Among  the  objects  of  interest  in  these  cases 
may  be  mentioned  a  casket  of  St.  Louis,  with  gold  reliefs ; 
a  vase  of  jasper  by  Cellini ;  the  crown  of  Louis  XV.,  but 
now  containing  imitation  jewels ;  a  casket  of  Queen  Anne 
of  Austria,  in  gold  filigree  ;  an  imitation  of  the  crown  of 
Charlemagne,  worn  by  Napoleon  I.  at  his  coronation  ;  sword 
and  spurs  of  Charlemagne  ;  steel  armor  of  Henry  II.;  hel- 
met and  shield  of  Charles  IX.;  mirror,  and  candlestick 
adorned  with  emeralds  and  cameos,  presented  by  the  Re- 
public of  Venice  to  Marie  de  Medicis.  From  the  articles  I 


THE    BASTILLE.  169 

have  mentioned,  almost  at  random,  some  idea  may  be  form- 
ed of  how  interesting  this  large  room,  full  of  just  such  things, 
must  be. 

The  Salle  des  Bijoux  contains  a  large  collection  of  ancient 
jewels  and  ornaments,  largely  Grecian  and  Etruscan,  over 
which  days  might  be  spent  in  examination  and  description. 

In  the  Salle  des  Caryatides,  Henry  IV.  married  Margaret 
of  Valois,  and  here  his  body  was  placed  after  his  assassina- 
tion. It  was  also  used  as  a  theater  by  Moliere,  who  acted 
here  in  some  of  his  own  plays.  It  is  a  very  beautiful  room, 
and  contains  some  fine  paintings  and  sculptures. 

Nine  rooms  are  devoted  to  the  Musee  Campana,  purchased 
in  1862,  of  the  Papal  Government.  It  consists  principally 
of  Egyptian,  Babylonian,  Grecian  and  Phoenician  statues, 
terra  cottas,  pottery,  vases,  caskets,  gold  ornaments,  etc. 
There  are  also  four  rooms  devoted  to  Chinese  curiosities. 

I  doubt  if  my  attempts  at  describing  palaces  and  muse- 
ums will  be  of  much  interest  to  my  readers,  and  yet  I  have 
endeavored  to  be  very  brief,  lumping  off  dozens  of  rooms  in 
less  than  as  many  lines.  A  hundred  volumes  would  not 
describe  in  detail  the  treasures  of  the  Louvre.  I  have  omit- 
ted whole  departments,  noticing  only  a  few  of  the  things  that 
most  interested  myself. 

The  Place  de  la  Bastille  is  a  large  square,  in  which  former- 
ly stood  an  ancient  fortress  surrounded  by  a  moat,  and  after- 
ward converted  into  a  state  prison.  Its  inmates  were  usual- 
ly noblemen,  politicians  or  authors  who  had  incurred  the 
displeasure  of  the  king  or  some  of  his  favorites,  and  were  in- 
carcerated here  without  being  informed  of  their  crime,  or  of 
the  duration  of  their  imprisonment.  It  was  here  the  "  Man 
with  the  Iron  Mask,"  whose  identity  has  caused  so  much 
discussion,  and  will  probably  ever  remain  a  mystery,  was  im- 
prisoned. It  was  destroyed  in  1789,  at  the  beginning  of  the 
revolution,  "  Down  with  the  Bastille  !"  being  the  first  rallying 


IJO  PORTE    ST    MARTIN. 

cry  of  the  revolutionists.  Its  massive  walls,  ten  feet  thick, 
and  its  eight  heavy  towers,  were  torn  down  and  removed,  so 
odious  had  it  become  to  the  people.  Napoleon  I.  ordered 
the  erection  of  a  colossal  bronze  elephant  in  the  centre  of 
the  square,  but  Waterloo  interfered  with  the  accomplishment 
of  his  design.  The  column  now  standing  here,  and  known 
as  the  "  Column  of  July,"  was  erected  in  honor  of  the  men 
who  fell  in  the  revolution  of  1830.  It  was  completed  in 
1840,  is  150  feet  high,  thirteen  feet  in  thickness,  and  rests  on 
a  massive  pedestal  of  white  marble,  intended  by  Napoleon  to 
support  his  bronze  elephant.  The  column  is  of  bronze,  in 
five  sections,  and  fluted  ;  and  on  it,  in  gilded  letters,  are  the 
names  of  over  600  of  the  victims  of  July,  1830,  who  are 
buried  in  its  vaults.  On  the  top  is  a  figure  of  the  Genius  of 
Liberty,  standing  on  a  globe,  and  holding  a  torch  and  bro- 
ken chain.  The  Place  was  one  of  the  strongholds  of  the 
Communists,  who  barricaded  every  street  leading  to  it,  and 
made  preparations  to  blow  up  the  column,  if  forced  to 
retreat.  It  was  saved  by  their  holding  out  long  enough  to 
use  up  all  their  powder. 

The  Porte  St.  Martin  is  a  triumphal  arch,  about  sixty  feet 
high,  erected  by  the  city,  in  1674,  in  honor  of  Louis  XIV. 
Its  reliefs  and  inscriptions  commemorate  the  victories  of 
that  monarch.  The  Port  St.  -  Denis  is  a  similar  arch,  but 
larger,  being  eighty  feet  high,  and  in  honor  of  the  same 
monarch.  Both  these  arches  have  been  the  scene  of  some 
terrible  fighting  in  the  revolutionary  struggles,  especially  in 
1871.  The  bullets  of  the  Communists  have  left  numerous 
marks  on  these  arches.  In  passing  through  the  streets  of 
Paris,  in  the  presence  of  the  buildings  destroyed  or  in- 
jured, and  by  the*  graves  of  its  victims,  I  have  been  led 
to  wonder  at  the  ferocity  and  thirst  for  blood  that  has 
marked  its  revolutions.  I  am  passing  in  the  streets,  and 
sitting  with,  in  the  omnibuses,  the  men  and  women  who 


THE    COLUMN    VENDOME.  17 1 

witnessed  and  took  part  in  the  horrible  scenes  of  ten  years 
ago.  It  was  French  against  French,  and  the  disciplined 
troops  of  the  Versailles  government  were  as  inhuman  as  the 
leaders  of  the  Commune.  Somewhere,  and  not  far  from  the 
surface,  there  must  lurk  in  the  deferential  and  polite 
Frenchman,  and  woman  too,  for  they  were  as  cruel  as  the 
men,  the  instincts  of  the  tiger,  which  passion  can  arouse  to 
murderous  activity — and  yet  you  wouldn't  think  it  to  look 
at  them. 

The  Column  Vendome  is  an  imitation  of  Trajan's  column 
at  Rome,  erected  by  Napoleon  in  1 806-10,  to  commemorate 
his  victories  over  the  Russians  and  Austrians  in  1805.  It  is 
of  masonry,  142  feet  high  and  thirteen  feet  in  diameter,  and 
covered  on  the  outside  with  continuous  plates  of  bronze, 
forming  a  spiral  scroll  over  500  feet  long,  on  which  are  rep- 
resented scenes  from  the  campaigns  it  is  designed  to 
commemorate.  Twelve  hundred  Austrian  and  Russian 
cannon  were  used  in  making  these  plates.  The  statue  of 
Napoleon,  on  the  top  of  the  column,  was  removed  in 
1815.  It  is  said  the  Allies,  when  in  Paris  in  1815,  made 
several  unsuccessful  attempts  to  pull  the  column  down. 
The  Communists  in  1871  succeeded  in  overthrowing  it, 
and  trampling  in  the  dust,  or  rather  on  a  manure  heap, 
the  statue  of  the  great  emperor  which  had  been  restored 
by  Napoleon  III.  The  column  has  been  re-erected,  and 
the  restored  statue  of  the  general  whose  victories  it  was 
designed  to  commemorate  appropriately  decorates  its  top. 

The  government  manufactory  of  Gobelin  tapestry  is  in  a 
building  almost  entirely  destroyed  by  the  German  bombard- 
ment. Fortunately  some  of  the  most  valuable  tapestries 
had  been  removed.  Since  1662  the  manufacture  of  Gobelin 
tapestries  has  been  carried  on  exclusively  by  the  govern- 
ment. It  was  found  it  did  not  pay,  but  the  authorities  have 
prided  themselves  on  being  able  to  produce  finer  fabrics 
10 


172  THE    MORGUE. 

than  any  other  nation  in  the  world.  We  were  permitted  to 
pass  through  the  entire  building,  seeing  the  process  of 
weaving  and  the  beautiful  specimens  when  completed. 
There  were  four  rooms  devoted  to  the  exhibition  of  tapes- 
tries ;  some  of  the  specimens  are  quite  old,  some  of  them 
very  fine,  among  them  a  number  of  valuable  fragments 
saved  from  larger  pieces  burned  by  the  Communists.  The 
looms  are  simple  and  easily  understood.  The  part  of  the 
work  on  which  the  workman  is  engaged  is  outlined  in  chalk 
on  the  stretched  threads,  while  the  picture  he  is  to  copy  is 
at  his  side.  In  front  of  him  is  a  basket  of  fine  woolen 
threads,  of  every  conceivable  shade  of  color,  from  which  his 
practiced  eye  selects  the  shade  to  be  woven  into  the  design. 
Two  and  a  quarter  inches  square  is  considered  a  day's  work; 
on  portraits  and  difficult  designs  it  is  still  less.  Many  years 
are  necessary  for  completing  the  large  designs,  which  are 
valued  from  $10,000  upwards.  I  have  seen  nothing  finer 
from  the  brush  of  the  most  celebrated  painters  than  some  of 
these  Gobelins.  Of  course  they  are  never  in  market,  being 
worked  for  the  government  and  used  in  the  decoration  of 
public  buildings  or  presented  to  foreign  courts  or  persons  of 
distinction. 

The  Morgue  is  a  place  where  the  bodies  of  unknown 
persons  who  have  perished  in  the  river  or  otherwise  are 
kept  for  three  days  if  not  sooner  identified.  It  is  on  a 
much  frequented  thoroughfare,  and  its  open  doors  invite 
the  passers  by  to  the  hideous  sights  within.  Stone  slabs 
recline  against  the  walls,  and  on  them  were  the  bodies 
of  a  man  and  woman  naked  to  the  waist.  Around  the 
room  were  numerous  pieces  of  clothing,  sometimes  a  mere 
shred  taken  from  bodies  that  have  been  exposed  here.  A 
curious  crowd  were  passing  in  and  out  and  we  were  soon 
pointed  to  the  door  to  make  room  for  others.  How 
strange  that  gay  and  lovely  Paris  should  furnish  so  many 


OMNIBUS    LINES.  173 

suicides.  During  the  past  year  750  bodies  have  been 
brought  here  for  identification. 

In  Paris  fires  are  almost  unknown,  the  buildings  being 
really  fire  proof.  With  us  high  buildings  and  Mansard  roofs 
are  supposed  to  greatly  increase  the  risk.  The  buildings 
in  most  parts  of  the  city  are  five  or  six  stories  high,  with 
Mansard  roofs,  and  yet  there  are  few  fires  of  importance  ; 
indeed,  I  am  told  the  fire  is  usually  confined  to  the  story 
in  which  it  originates.  The  Communists  tried  to  destroy 
the  public  buildings  and  the  residences  and  stores  in  the 
best  part  of  the  city,  but  the  conflagration  rarely  extended 
beyond  the  building  fired.  The  Hotel  de  Ville  and  Tuil- 
eries  were  filled  with  petroleum  and  other  combustibles 
and  their  destruction  assured,  but  with  little  damage  to  the 
adjoining  buildings.  I  noticed  that  even  the  ordinary  out- 
side blinds  are  of  iron.  The  plans  and  specifications  for  all 
new  buildings  are  submitted  to  a  government  board  of  in- 
spectors whose  approval  is  necessary,  and  whose  duty  it  is 
to  see  that  they  are  carried  out  in  detail,  and  who  do  their 
duty.  A  similar  board  might  do  much  to  prevent  the  large 
fires  so  common  in  America. 

There  are  thirty-three  different  omnibus  lines,  and  with 
an  omnibus  chart  of  the  city  it  is  possible  to  reach  almost 
any  point  in  this  way.  These  omnibuses  will  accommodate 
from  thirty  to  forty  persons,  half  of  them  on  the  outside,  the 
top  being  reached  by  a  stairway  practicable  for  ladies. 
There  are,  besides,  thirty-nine  lines  of  tram-cars,  running 
mostly  to  the  villages  on  the  outside  the  fortifications,  and 
the  cities  of  Boulogne  and  Versailles.  The  fare  on  the  out- 
side to  any  point  within  the  fortifications  is  three  cents.  An 
omnibus  may  be  hailed  at  any  point  and  if  not  full  will  stop. 
If  taken  at  a  regular  station  you  receive  a  number,  and  if 
the  omnibus  is  not  full  before  your  number  is  reached  you  are 
assigned  a  seat;  if  full,  you  wait  till  by  another  arrival  your 


174  THE    THEATERS. 

number  is  reached;  the  rule  " first  come  first  served"  is  in- 
variable. When  the  number  for  whom  seats  are  provided  has 
been  seated  the  conductor  hangs  out  a  card  with  the  word 
"Complet,"  meaning  full,  and  no  more  are  admitted.  The 
American  idea  that  "  an  omnibus  is  never  full,"  has  not 
been  adopted  in  Paris. 

Although  I  have  described  none  of  the  theaters,  except 
the  Grand  Opera  House,  Paris  has  about  seventy  theaters. 
Some  of  the  best  are  sustained  in  part  by  the  government, 
and  all  are  well  patronized  by  the  people.  The  French 
seem  to  delight  in  shows — even  the  cheap  out-door  perform- 
ances at  the  Cafe  Chantants  draw  large  crowds  of  people. 
In  the  gardens  and  parks  are  numerous  shows  of  the  Punch 
and  Judy  order.  An  accordeon,  sometimes  reinforced  by  a 
violin,  furnishes  the  music,  and  the  people  seem  never  to 
tire  watching  the  puppets  on  the  mimic  stage.  The  roars 
of  laughter  with  which  their  sayings  are  greeted  lead  me  to 
think,  that  like  the  "  end  men  "  at  a  minstrel  performance, 
new  and  local  hits  are  indulged  in. 

The  educational  facilities  of  Paris  seem  to  be  very  exten- 
sive, beginning  with  the  academy,  with  its  ninety  professors, 
and  the  college  of  France  with  thirty  professors  ;  supple- 
mented by  special  schools  of  military,  mining,  art,  Polytech- 
nic, normal,  musical,  etc.  Some  of  the  buildings  used 
for  educational  purposes  are  very  fine  ;  among  them  may  be 
mentioned  the  Ecole  Militaire,  Sarbonne,  Institute  de 
France  and  the  Palais  and  Ecole  des  beaux  Arts.  The 
Academy  alone  is  said  to  number  8,000  students.  All  the 
schools  and  colleges  and  most  of  the  palaces  have  extensive 
libraries,  but  the  great  library  of  Paris  is  the  Bibliotheque 
Nationale,  probably  the  most  extensive  in  the  world,  con- 
taining about  two  million  volumes.  Its  departments  of 
manuscripts  and  engravings,  coins  and  medals,  are  very 
complete. 


TAXATION.  175 

The  answer  I  have  received  to  my  inquiries  about  taxa- 
tion would  indicate  that  pretty  much  everything  is  taxed. 
The  holders  of  real  estate  do  not,  as  with  us,  bear  nearly  all 
the  expenses  of  local  government,  permitting  those  rich  in 
money,  or  acquiring  money,  to  go  almost  scot  free.  Car- 
riage stands  pay  nearly  a  million  dollars  yearly  for  the  privi- 
lege ;  'each  omnibus  and  tram-car  pays  two  hundred  dollars 
tax  ;  balconies,  signs  and  lanterns  attached  to  buildings  are 
taxed  ;  cafes  pay  for  the  use  of  the  sidewalks  for  their  cus- 
tomers. All  provisions  entering  the  city  are  taxed  ;  I  am 
assured  that  twenty  million  dollars  is  realized  from  this  tax, 
but  it  seems  a  large  sum.  Trade  licenses  produce  three 
million  dollars,  market  rents  two  million,  water  supply  one 
million,  theaters  half  a  million,  and  even  the  street  Punch 
and  Judy  shows  pay  a  tax  amounting  to  ten  thousand  dol- 
lars. Even  in  death  the  government  does  not  relax  its 
claims.  The  cemeteries  are  public  property  and  graves 
must  be  purchased,  or,  as  is  usually  the  case,  rented  for  five 
years.  All  funerals  in  Paris  are  conducted  by  a  company 
of  undertakers,  who  pay  to  the  authorities  for  this  exclusive 
privilege  one  third  of  all  moneys  received  for  funeral  orna- 
ments aud  fifteen  per  cent,  of  all  other  receipts.  Supposing 
this  company's  charges  to  be  on  the  American  scale,  the 
revenue  to  the  city  must  be  enormous,  and  after  paying 
over  one  third  of  the  receipts  for  the  useless  paraphernalia 
of  mourning,  and  fifteen  per  cent,  on  things  essential,  the 
poor  company's  profits  must  be  reduced  to  200  per  cent,  or 
less,  which  seems  hard  on  the  company. 

The  fountains  of  Paris  are  very  imposing,  though,  as  no- 
body drinks  water,  they  are  not  of  so  much  utility  as  in 
America,  where  there  are  some  water  drinkers  left.  The 
Fountains  des  Innocents,  de  Medicis,  Moliere  and  Notre 
Dame  are  among  the  finest,  but  seem  designed  more  for  or- 
nament than  use. 


176  LOVE    OF    FLOWERS. 

The  Parisians  have  a  great  fondness  for  flowers  and  the 
flower  markets  are  numerous.  Even  in  the  poorer  quarters 
of  the  city  every  window  to  the  sixth  story  has  its  flowers. 
The  trees  are  tenderly  cared  for  and  if  a  large  tree  dies  it  is 
replaced  by  another  of  the  same  size  so  as  to  preserve  uni- 
formity. In  the  paved  streets  or  stone  walks  a  circular  iron 
grating  surrounds  the  tree  for  two  or  three  feet,  admitting 
air  and  moisture.  It  seems  a  sensible  arrangement  and  I 
have  never  seen  it  before. 

I  had  almost  forgotten  one  of  the  things  on  which  the 
Parisians  pride  themselves — tbe  great  hospitals.  Over  20,- 
ooo  patients  are  constantly  under  treatment  and  there  is  ac- 
commodation for  a  large  number  more.  Some  of  the  build- 
ings are  of  immense  size  and  of  imposing  appearance.  More 
than  one-fourth  of  the  births  are  illegitimate  and  foundling 
hospitals  are  maintained  by  the  government,  where  the  un- 
fortunate little  ones  are  cared  for.  The  cost  of  the  hospi- 
tals and  other  charitable  institutions  for  the  poor  is  over  five 
million  dollars  yearly. 

What  Paris  is  to  be,  it  would  be  difficult  to  conjecture. 
The  fortifications  seem  to  limit  its  extension,  and  the  de- 
molition of  thousands  of  buildings  to  make  room  for  its 
grand  squares,  large  public  buildings,  and  wide  boulevards 
has  not  ceased.  Whole  parks  like  the  Buttes  Chamonts 
have  been  formed  on  ground  formerly  occupied  by  the  nar- 
rowest streets  and  most  crowded  tenements.  Boulevards 
have  been  run  through  that  part  of  Paris,  occupied  by  what 
are  known  as  the  dangerous  classes,  and  the  asphaltum  pave- 
ments, though  expensive,  are  regarded  with  complacency  as 
not  affording  paving  stones  for  the  erection  of  barricades. 
There  is  something  in  the  air  of  Paris  hardly  compatible 
with  earnest,  consecutive  thought — nobody  seems  in  earnest, 
everybody  seems  to  be  enjoying  themselves.  Compare  the 
streets  of  Paris  with  those  of  New  York  or  Chicago  and 


FUTURE  OF    PARIS.  177 

what  a  contrast.  Imagine  the  sidewalks  on  Broadway  or 
State  street  set  with  tables  and  chairs  as  if  for  a  picnic  ! 
The  noble  parks,  beautiful  gardens,  the  finest  museums  in 
the  world — all  that  wealth  and  art  can  do  has  been  done  to 
make  Paris  attractive,  and  for  the  poorest  as  well  as  the  rich. 
The  working  man  on  Sundays  and  holidays  can  enjoy  all 
these  without  cost  and  with  the  same  sense  of  proprietorship 
as  the  rich.  Paris  will  probably  remain  as  noAv,  the  pleasure 
ground  of  the  civilized  world,  and  attract  to  herself  the 
wealthy  and  pleasure  seeking  of  all  nations.  No  other  place 
so  beautiful,  or  made  so  interesting  and  enjoyable,  or  that  so 
freely  and  lavishly  displays  its  treasures. 


i78 


CHAPTER  X. 

SWITZERLAND. 

Paris  to  Berne— Berne— The  Cathedral  Terrace— Alpine  View— Organ  Concert 
—The  Streets— Swiss  People— The  Bears  of  Berne— Lake  Thun— Interlaken 
—The  Jungfrau— Swiss  Houses— Religious  Service— Sunday  Afternoon- 
Lake  Brienz— Brunig  Pass— Lake  Lucerne— Lucerne— A  Fine  Organ— The 
Lion  of  Lucerne— Vitznau— Rigi  Railroad— View  from  the  Summit— Wil- 
liam Tell— Protestant  and  Catholic— The  Common  Pasturage. 

I  left  Paris  by  the  Lyons  and  Mediterranean  rail  road  for 
Switzerland.  There  was  no  sleeping  car  attached  to  the 
train,  but  my  traveling  companion  and  myself,  by  a  small 
fee  to  the  conductor,  secured  an  entire  compartment  to  our- 
selves, and  by  a  judicious  placing  of  the  cushions  and  bag- 
gage improvised  a  sort  of  Pullman  arrangement  that  an- 
swered the  purpose  remarkably  well.  I  awoke  about  day- 
break at  Artelot  in  France.  The  country  looked  very  much 
like  the  hilly  portions  of  New  England.  It  is  very  sparsely 
settled,  the  houses  are  but  one  story,  cover  a  good  deal  of 
ground  and  present  an  astonishing  amount  of  roof.  Potatoes 
are  in  blossom,  and  the  farmers  are  cutting  a  very  light  crop 
of  grass.  They  seem  to  cure  their  hay  before  cutting  it, 
indeed,  it  looks  like  old  hay  as  it  falls  from  the  scythe. 
About  six  o'clock  we  stop  at  Pontarlier  thirty  minutes  for  re- 
freshments, which  consisted  of  excellent  coffee  with  rolls  and 
butter.  Coffee  was  served  in  a  bowl  with  a  tablespoon  to 
sup  it.  Total  expense  of  meal  sixteen  cents,  and  it  is  the 
best  the  establishment  affords.  In  America,  the  minutes 
would  have  been  reduced,  and  the  dishes  and  cost  multiplied. 
As  we  near  the  Swiss  line  we  see  large  fortifications  in 
course  of  repair  or  of  erection,  by  the  French.  We  entered 


BERNE.  179 

Switzerland  by  a  long  tunnel,  but  emerged  into  daylight 
and  fine  scenery,  and  soon  reached  Vallorbes,  where  for  the 
first  time  I  stood  on  Swiss  soil.  Here  is  the  Swiss  custom 
house,  but  our  baggage  was  not  examined  or  any  questions 
asked.  As  we  proceed  the  scenery  becomes  more  interest- 
ing, bearing  some  resemblance  to  that  between  Island  Pond 
and  Gorham,  with  which  many  of  my  readers  are  familiar. 
Villages  and  small  hamlets  occur  frequently  in  the  culti- 
vated portions,  the  tops  of  the  hills  being  bare  unless 
where  covered  by  very  small  pines.  Soon  the  snow  capped 
mountains  of  the  Bernese  Oberland  are  seen  in  the  distance 
and  we  enjoy  magnificent  views  of  Swiss  scenery.  Reach- 
ing Lausanne,  we  find  cars  on  the  American  plan  of  a 
central  passage  through  the  car  lengthwise,  but  with  the 
American  couplings  which  are  inferior  to  the  French  or  En- 
glish. Lausanne  has  a  population  of  about  25,000  and  is 
finely  situated  on  the  Lake  of  Geneva.  For  miles  in  either 
direction  are  vineyards  sloping  gracefully  from  the  very  tops 
of  the  high  hills  to  the  waters  of  the  lake.  On  the  other 
side  of  the  lake,  which  is  narrow  here,  are  hills  and  moun- 
tain ledges  presenting  the  most  diversified  forms  as  we 
pass.  A  bright  sun  lights  up  a  scene  of  beauty  which  is 
seldom  surpassed.  The  next  place  of  importance  is  Fri- 
bourg,  with  a  population  of  about  11,000.  From  Fribourg 
to  Berne  the  country  is  mostly  capable  of  cultivation,  and 
the  crops  look  better  than  nearer  the  French  line. 

Berne,  the  capital  of  Switzerland,  is  on  the  river  Aare 
which  bounds  it  on  three  sides,  and  has  a  population  of 
about  40,009.  On  entering  my  room  at  the  hotel,  the  first 
thing  which  attracted  my  attention  was  a  new  arrangement 
of  the  bed — two  ticks  filled  with  feathers,  the  sleeper  ex- 
pected to  lie  between.  As  a  summer  arrangement  it  did 
riot  strike  me  favorably.  In  fact  it  seemed  as  if  the  second 
bed  might  be  dispensed  with.  It  looks  very  much  like 


l8o  CATHEDRAL     TERRACE. 

running  a  large  coal  stove  the  year  round.  I  proceeded  at 
once  to  the  Cathedral  terrace,  delightful  as  a  promenade, 
but  especially  famous  for  its  fine  view  of  the  Bernese  Alps 
— described  by  Humboldt  as  "  one  of  the  finest  panora- 
mas in  Europe."  Before  me  and  much  more  irregular  and 
broken  in  their  outlines  than  my  fancy  had  painted  them, 
stood  in  solemn  and  impressive  grandeur  the  snow  capped 
Wetterhorn,  Eiger,  Jungfrau,  Silberhorn,  Doldenhorn, 
Stockhorn,  and  others  of  this  range.  I  recalled  the  words 
of  the  poet  : 

"  Who  first  beholds  the  Alps— that  mighty  chain 
Of  mountains  stretching  on  from  east  to  west, 
So  massive,  yet  so  shadowy,  so  etheriel. 
As  to  belong  rather  to  heaven  than  to  earth- 
But  instantly  receives  into  his  soul 
A  sense  a  feeling  that  he  loseth  not, 
A  something ^that  informs  him  'tis  a  moment 
Whence  he  may  date  henceforward  and  forever  !" 

The  terrace  is  finely  shaded  by  luxuriant  chestnut  trees, 
and  the  rapid  Aare  flows  by  its  base,  more  than  a  hund- 
red feet  below.  It  is  a  favorite  resort  for  the  citizens, 
who,  seated  in  the  shade  of  its  trees,  indulge  in  wine, 
coffee,  ice-cream — and  Alps.  My  guide  book  informs  me 
that  a  celebrated  traveller  "  wept  at  the  sight "  which 
greeted  his  eyes  from  this  terrace.  I  didn't,  but,  the  day 
being  very  hot,  took  ice-cream  with  my  Alps,  with  results 
entirely  satisfactory. 

In  the  evening  I  went  to  the  cathedral  to  hear  the  large 
organ,  played  nightly  for  the  benefit  of  tourists, — and  of  the 
organist.  It  is  a  very  powerful  instrument,  and  some  of  the 
stops  are  said  to  be  peculiar  to  it.  The  concert  closed  with 
the  famous  "  Storm,  calm,  and  thanksgiving"  piece.  It  was 
finely  done.  The  calm  and  thanksgiving  were  beautiful,  and 
the  thunder  natural  enough  to  sour  milk,  but  too  loud  for 
thunder.  By  some  ingenious  management  the  wind  and 
rain  were  given  by  the  organ,  and  so  naturally,  that  at  first, 


THE    STREETS.  l8l 

and  until  I  discovered  their  source,  I  was  regretting  the  ab- 
sence of  my  umbrella. 

An  early  morning  walk  proved  interesting.  Everybody 
seemed  to  be  active  and  busy.  The  streets  were  being  care- 
fully swept,  and  by  women.  At  about  a  quarter  to  seven  I 
began  to  meet  large  numbers  of  children  with  books  and 
slates,  on  their  way  to  school.  A  cleaner,  healthier  looking, 
better  behaved  lot  of  young  people,  I  never  saw.  On  inqui- 
ry, I  found  that  the  forenoon  session  commenced  at  seven 
o'clock,  and  closed  at  eleven.  If  the  young  people  of 
America  are  being  injured  by  long  hours  of  study  at  school, 
as  I  have  heard  intimated  in  that  country,  we  should  ex- 
pect a  race  of  invalids  in  Switzerland.  Just  the  reverse  is 
the  fact.  Some  other  reason  than  the  number  of  hours  in 
school  must  be  found  for  the  nervousness  and  ill  health  of 
children  in  America.  The  Swiss  people  I  meet  in  Berne 
impress  me  very  favorably.  I  have  met  very  few  women 
dressed  as  showily  or  expensively  as  the  average  servant  girl 
of  America.  But  they  look  healthy,  clean,  helpful,  digni- 
fied, and  self  respecting.  The  men  are  like  them  in  these 
respects,  and  though  reserved  in  manner,  are  exceedingly  ac- 
commodating in  helping  strangers  to  find  objects  of  interest 
for  which  they  may  inquire.  It  seems  to  me  that  everybody 
in  Berne  is  engaged  in  earning  a  living  by  some  useful  occu- 
pation, and  dorit  care  who  knows  it.  Berne  is  said  to  have 
better  preserved  its  ancient  characteristics  than  any  other 
Swiss  city.  The  principal  business  street  is  about  a  mile 
long,  the  buildings  each  side  extending  over  the  sidewalk, 
their  fronts  supported  by  a  row  of  columns  on  the  inside  of 
the  curbstone.  In  the  morning  the  sides  of  the  street  are 
used  as  a  market  for  provisions,  fruit,  etc.,  presenting  a  busy 
and  crowded  appearance.  Several  old  towers  stand  in  the 
streets.  One,  of  peculiar  form,  is  known  as  the  "  Bird  Cage 
Tower."  Another  is  the  "Clock  Tower,-"  and  has  in  it  a 


182  CITY    OF    BEARS. 

very  large  clock,  about  twenty-five  feet  from  the  ground. 
On  one  side  of  the  dial  is  a  rooster,  who  crows  three  minutes 
before  the  hour.  In  another  minute  a  Merry-Andrew  above 
the  dial  rings  two  bells.  A  king,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
dial  from  the  rooster,  when  the  hour  arrives  turns  over  a 
large  hour  glass  which  he  holds  in  his  hand,  and  counts  the 
hours  as  the  clock  strikes,  keeping  time  to  the  counting  with 
his  scepter.  During  the  striking,  a  procession  of  bears  is 
passing  in  and  out  of  the  tower.  Another  crow  of  the 
rooster  ends  the  performance.  There  are  numerous  fount- 
ains in  the  streets,  used  largely  as  places  for  gossip,  and 
affording  opportunities  for  admiring  the  simplicity  of  Swiss 
life  and  manners. 

Berne  is  known  as  the  "  city  of  bears,"  for  which  various 
reasons  are  assigned.  But  of  the  fact  that  the  bear  is  an 
object  of  veneration,  there  can  be  no  dispute.  On  all  the 
public  buildings  are  bears,  on  every  fountain,  and  they  are 
numerous,  may  be  found  bears,  and  defending  all  entran- 
ces to  public  gates  are  bears — bears  in  effigy,  I  mean.  Be- 
side the  statue  of  one  of  their  great  men  stands  the  statue 
of  a  bear,  bearing  in  his  paws  the  great  man's  hat.  In  the 
shop  windows  are  prints,  lithographs,  engravings  and  chro- 
mos  of  bears,  and  bears  in  wood,  stone,  and  all  the  metals, 
besides  gingerbread  and  candy  bears.  In  the  toy  shops  may 
be  seen  bear  schools,  bear  soldiers,  intoxicated  bears  in  cus- 
tody of  bear  policemen,  bear  orchestras,  etc.,  etc.  Desiring 
to  bear  home  with  me  some  trifle  purchased  in  Berne,  I  de- 
cided of  course  to  purchase  a  bear, — in  the  form  of  a  gold 
charm — and  for  this  purpose  visited  a  large  establishment 
devoted  to  fancy  goods.  After  making  my  purchase  I  sat 
down  in  a  chair  to  rest  for  a  moment,  while  the  salesman 
was  putting  it  in  a  box.  Suddenly,  and  to  my  astonishment, 
a  lively  Swiss  air  began  to  waltz  out  of  my  coat  tails,  while 
a  small  bear,  hat  in  hand,  stepped  in  front  of  me.  I  had 


LAKE    THUN.  183 

sat  down  in  a  musical  chair  !  By  the  river  Aare  is  a  Baren- 
grabcn,  or  bear's  den,  where  in  magnificent  quarters  are 
kept  a  number  of  bears,  of  a  peculiar  breed.  During  the 
French  wars  the  bears  of  Berne  were  captured,  and  taken  to 
Paris.  The  loss  of  the  bears  was  regarded  as  a  public  mis- 
fortune. After  the  restoration  of  the  Bourbons  in  France, 
the  Bernese  demanded,  and  received  back  their  bears.  The 
reception  given  the  exiles  on  their  return,  is  said  to  have 
equalled  in  enthusiasm  that  given  to  the  greatest  warriors  or 
statesmen. 

From  Berne  to  Thun  is  nineteen  miles,  by  railroad.  It  is 
a  picturesque  and  ancient  town,  of  5,000  inhabitants,  charm- 
ingly situated  on  the  river  Aare.  From  Thun  to  Scherzli- 
gen  is  about  a  mile  ;  and  here  we  take  the  steamboat  on 
Lake  Thun  for  Darligen.  This  lake  is  about  ten  miles  long 
and  two  miles  wide,  and  is  surrounded  by  fine  scenery.  On 
the  hill-sides  are  picturesque  villas  and  gardens,  and  the  vine 
is  cultivated  on  the  slopes.  Fine  views  are  obtained  of  the 
Bernese  Alps,  which  appear  in  a  continuous  chain  in  the 
distance.  Landing  at  Darligen,  I  took  the  cars  for  Interla- 
ken,  about  a  mile  distant.  It  derives  its  name,  Interlaken, 
from  the  fact  that  it  lies  between  Lakes  Thun  and  Brienz. 
It  also  lies  between  two  ridges  of  mountains,  not  much 
more  than  a  mile  apart,  and  is  more  resorted  to  by  tourists 
than  any  other  place  in  Switzerland.  It  is  known  by  travel- 
ers as  the  village  of  hotels,  of  which  there  are  twenty-five  or 
more  ;  and  besides,  almost  every  house  takes  boarders. 
Some  of  the  hotels  are  large,  and  finely  kept.  At  the  Hotel 
des  Alpcs,  where  I  stayed,  about  130  persons  sat  at  dinner  in 
the  large  dining  hall.  The  hotels  unite  in  sustaining  an  in- 
stitution known  as  the  Cursaal,  where  the  drinking  of  whey 
is  practiced  at  certain  hours  of  the  day,  by  invalids  and 
others.  The  Cursaal  is  finely  kept,  has  a  library  and  read- 
ing room,  and  a  good  orchestra  of  about  twenty-five  per- 


184  VILLAGES    AND    HAMLETS. 

formers.  Music  is  furnished  three  times  a  day  for  all  who 
desire  to  attend.  Not  noticing  a  single  case  of  spectacles, 
or  long  hair.  I  conclude  the  musicians  are  unpretending 
amateurs  ;  they  play  well,  however.  Interlaken  affords  a  re- 
markable view  of  the  Jungfrau  and  Silberhorn.  Looking 
south,  between  two  of  the  mountains  which  enclose  the  vil- 
lage, the  snowy  tops  of  the  Jungfrau  and  Silberhorn  rise  in 
their  majestic  whiteness  : 

"  Vast  as  mysterious,  beautiful  as  grand, 
Forever  looking  into  heaven's  clear  face." 

The  effect  is  startling;  the  lofty  mountains,  nearly  13,000 
feet  high,  appear  as  if  within  musket  range,  but  are  nearly 
eighteen  miles  distant.  I  stayed  at  Interlaken  over  Sunday 
and  made  a  somewhat  extended  climbing  and  wandering 
tour  on  foot.  The  small  villages  and  hamlets  of  the  peas- 
ants in  this  vicinity,  as  indeed  in  almost  the  entire  canton  of 
Berne,  are  wretched  looking.  Hardly  a  roof  appeared  as  if 
it  would  keep  out  the  rain,  and  most  of  them  are  covered 
with  large  stones  to  keep  the  roof  in  place.  Under  the 
eaves,  or  under  sheds,  might  be  seen  the  little  stock  of 
hardwood  seasoning,  to  furnish  material  for  wood  carv- 
ing. Occasionally  by  a  small  stream  I  would  find  a  saw 
mill,  the  most  primitive  and  diminutive  I  have  ever  met  with. 
It  is  a  fact  which  cannot  be  denied  that  these  rambling  old 
houses,  where  one  cannot  tell  where  the  house  ends  and 
cowshed  begins,  look  much  more  picturesque  and  satis- 
factory, in  every  respect,  in  a  lady's  album  or  in  a  picture 
gallery,  marked  "Scene  in  Switzerland,"  than  they  do  on  the 
spot.  The  houses  inside  gave  no  indications  of  what 
Americans  would  call  comfort.  They  had,  however,  one 
redeeming  quality  ;  no  matter  how  poor,  they  were  clean. 
Several  times  I  quenched  my  thirst  with  milk  procured  at 
these  places,  and  never  saw  anything  that  destroyed  my 
relish  for  the  milk,  no  matter  how  poor  the  place.  Most  of 


RELIGIOUS    SERVICES.  185 

these  people  earn  a  living  by  whittling  and  carving  wood,  at 
which  they  are  remarkably  ingenious.  The  products  of  their 
labor  may  be  found  in  every  Swiss  city  and  village,  and  are 
purchased  largely  by  tourists  as  well  as  for  exportation.  On 
Sunday  morning  I  attended  the  service  of  the  Free  Church 
of  Scotland.  I  found  a  most  remarkable  state  of  things 
religiously.  The  nave  of  the  old  church,  with  which  a  mon- 
astry  was  formerly  connected,  is  a  Roman  Catholic  Church. 
The  choir  is  used  by  the  Church  of  England.  The  sacristy 
is  used  by  a  French  Protestant  Church  and  by  the  Free 
Church  of  Scotland.  The  sermon  by  a  genuine  Scotchman 
from  Edinburgh,  was  very  good.  The  singing  was  congre- 
gational, led  by  a  small  harmonium,  located  back  of  the  little 
pulpit  and  out  of  sight  of  the  congregation,  such  things 
being  of  doubtful  propriety,  and  barely  tolerated  in  the  Free 
Church.  About  thirty-five  persons,  all  strangers  and  mostly 
Scotch,  were  in  attendance.  The  simple,  tender,  fervent 
prayer  for  "  President  Garfield,  if  still  alive,"  touched  the 
hearts  of  at  least  two  Americans,  who  did  not  expect  in  that 
far  off  land  to  find  such  hearty  sympathy  for  the  unfor- 
tunate president.  Sunday  appears  to  be  observed  here  till 
noon,  when  a  half  holiday  begins.  The  stores  on  the  princi- 
pal street,  the  Hoheweg,  are  opened  and  promenading  and 
shopping  begins.  The  thousands  of  visitors,  speaking  al- 
most every  European  language,  mingling  with  the  Swiss 
peasants  in  their  Sunday  attire,  presents  a  scene  both  novel 
and  interesting.  The  most  remarkable  thing  about  my 
hotel  experience  here  was  an  item  in  my  bill  of  one  franc 
for  "coal  tax."  I  should  have  likpd  to  argue  the  question 
with  the  proprietor,  who  had  furnished  no  fires,  on  the 
double  basis  of  "  taxation  without  representation,"  and  tax- 
ation without  coal,  but  as  the  train  was  just  ready  to  start  I 
had  to  forego  the  pleasure. 

Leaving  Interlaken,  I  took  the  cars  for  Bonigen,  about 


l86  BRUNIG    PASS. 

a  mile  distant,  and  there  take  the  steamer  on  Lake  Brienz 
for  the  village  of  Brienz,  at  the  other  end  of  the  lake. 
This  lake  is  about  ten  miles  long  by  one  and  one-half 
miles  wide.  The  borders  of  the  lake  are  mountainous, 
but  occasionally  relieved  by  a  charming  slope  cultivated 
to  the  water's  edge.  Indeed,  the  scenery  on  both  Lakes 
Thun  and  Brienz  resembles  a  section  of  twenty  miles  of 
the  Hudson  River  near  West  Point,  magnified  of  course, 
as  the  rocks  and  mountains  here  are  much  higher.  At 
Brienz  the  diligence  is  waiting  to  convey  us  over  the 
Brunig  Pass  to  Alpnach,  twenty-five  miles  distant.  Five 
horses  were  attached,  and  the  journey,  to  be  made  in  seven 
hours,  requires  an  ascent  of  3,396  feet  to  the  summit  of 
the  Pass.  The  road  makes  directly  for  the  mountain, 
and  the  ascent  at  once  becomes  steep,  the  way  winding 
to  the  right  and  left  up  the  mountain  side.  The  road 
bed  is  good,  being  cut  in  the  solid  rock.  The  view, 
downward,  from  the  side  of  the  diligence,  gets  to  be  im- 
mense, say  2,000  feet  perpendicular.  At  one  point  where 
the  mountain  projects  over  the  valley,  a  shelf  is  cut  in 
the  mountain  side  for  the  carriage  way.  The  overhanging 
mass  of  rock  above  looks  to  a  timid  traveler  as  if  it 
couldn't  hold  another  minute,  and  yet  the  driver  persisted 
in  stopping  right  under  the  center  of  it,  on  the  pretext 
that  it  afforded  a  fine  view  of  the  valley  of  the  Aare.  The 
Pass  is  a  favorite  one,  and  carriage  parties  numerous. 
Swiss  boys  and  girls,  with  small  baskets  of  blackberries 
and  raspberries,  now  just  ripe  on  the  mountains,  apprgach 
us  at  every  resting  place.  Swiss  women  stand  bv  the 
road  side  ready  to  furnish  the  traveler  delicious  Swiss 
milk.  The  descent  proved  to  be  more  gradual  than  the 
ascent,  and  passing  the  villages  of  Lungern  and  Sarnen, 
on  lakes  of  the  same  name,  we  reach  Alpnach.  The  drive 
from  Brienz  to  Alpnach,  over  the  mountain,  is  interesting 


LUCERNE.  187 

and  exciting.  I  intended  to  give  my  readers  a  detailed 
description  of  its  interesting  scenery,  but  ran  short  of  ap- 
propriate and  forcible  adjectives  long  before  I  reached 
the  summit  of  the  pass.  I  must  therefore  leave  unde- 
scribed  Swiss  scenes  and  scenery  to  which  no  words  of  mine 
can  do  justice. 

At  Alpnach  we  take  the  steamer  for  .  Lucerne.  Lake 
Lucerne  is  usually  described  as  the  most  picturesque  and 
beautiful  in  Europe.  It  is  cruciform  in  shape,  Lucerne 
being  at  the  head,  and  is  surrounded  by  mountains,  tow- 
ering in  imposing  grandeur,  five  to  seven  thousand  feet 
above  its  level.  Most  of  these  mountains  are  covered  with 
cedar  trees,  except  where  cleared  for  human  habitations, 
and  one  is  led  to  wonder  at  the  cottages  far  up  their  sides, 
apparently  unapproachable  except  by  wings  or  a  balloon. 
Near  the  tops  are  seen  large  buildings  witji  flags,  evidently 
hotels,  and  it  is  claimed  that  during  the  season  of  travel 
more  than  2,000  visitors  stay  over  night  at  these  hotels 
among  the  clouds. 

The  city  of  Lucerne  has  about  18,000  inhabitants  and  is 
charmingly  situated  in  a  natural  amphitheater  at  the  out- 
let of  the  lake.  The  river  Reuss  runs  through  it  like  a 
mountain  torrent,  on  its  way  from  the  lake  to  the  Rhine. 
The  whole  length  of  the  quay  is  a  broad  avenue,  shaded 
by  chestnut  trees,  and  fronting  on  this  avenue  are  the  great 
hotels.  The  background  is  made  up  of  quaint  old  houses, 
and  the  ancient  walls  and  watch-towers.  The  view  from 
Lucerne  is  still  more  imposing.  From  my  window,  the  Rigi 
group  in  the  east,  and  grim  and  rocky  Pilatus  in  the  south- 
west rise  in  the  foreground,  and  between  them,  in  the  dis- 
tance, I  can  count  nearly  forty  snow  clad  Alpine  peaks. 
The  public  buildings  of  Lucerne  are  good,  but  not  impos- 
ing. The  principal  streets  are  in  modern  style  and  there  is 
less  appearance  of  poverty  than  in  any  place  I  have  seen  in 
11 


l88  THE    LION    OF    LUCERNE. 

Switzerland.  The  cathedral  is  of  the  seventeenth  century, 
and  has  a  remarkably  fine  bell.  Its  greatest  attraction 
however,  is  its  fine  organ,  the  best  in  Switzerland,  and  the 
finest  I  have  ever  heard.  It  is  played  every  evening  and 
the  concerts  are  well  patronized  by  tourists.  It  differs  prin- 
cipally from  the  organ  at  Berne  in  being  of  a  smoother  and 
softer  tone.  Its  full  organ  is  really  much  more  powerful 
than  that  at  Berne,  but  as  played  seems  to  make  less  noise, 
yet  gives  you  a  feeling  of  subdued  power  that  is  very  im- 
pressive. The  "  Storm,  calm  and  thanksgiving"  piece,  was 
performed  here  also,  but  with  much  finer  effect.  The  thun- 
der really  seemed  to  be  out  doors,  and  to  die  away  in  the 
distance.  The  moaning  of  the  winds,  increasing  fitfully  in 
gusts,  till  it  reached  the  roar  of  the  hurricane,  the  pattering 
rain  drops  followed  by  a  pouring  rain,  the  rushing  noise  of 
the  swollen  mountain  streams,  the  notes  of  the  Alpine  horn 
and  tinkling  of  the  cow  bells  were  all  imitated  so  perfectly 
as  to  seem  real.  But  the  storm  began  to  abate,  the  distant 
convent  bell  rings,  and  soon  the  sweet  voices  of  nun's  chant- 
ing is  heard  ;  it  is  increased  by  male  voices  till  all  the  parts 
are  given,  and  a  magnificent  choir  seems  to  be  offering  a 
song  of  thanksgiving.  Gradually  the  music  seems  to 
die  away  in  the  distance  till  all  is  still.  It  required  great 
faith  in  the  wonderful  vox  humana  stop,  for  which  this 
organ  is  so  justly  celebrated,  to  believe  that  all  these  choral 
effects  were  produced  by  the  organ.  It  was  certainly  the 
most  remarkable  musical  performance  to  which  I  ever 
listened. 

The  great  lion  of  Lucerne,  to  which  all  visitors  are  di- 
rected, is  a  lion  cut  in  the  solid  rock,  after  Thorwaldsen,  to 
commemorate  the  Swiss  who  fell  at  Paris  in  1792,  defending 
the  Tuileries  and  royal  family.  The  dying  lion  is  transfixed 
with  a  broken  lance,  and  is  in  the  agonies  of  death  shelter- 
ing the  French  shield  and  fleur  dc  Us  with  its  paws.  The 


THE    RIGI.  189 

figure  is  cut  on  the  smooth  face  of  a  high  perpendicular  rock, 
with  a  pool  of  clear  water  at  its  base,  and  surrounded  by 
trees.  The  collossal  proportions  of  the  affair  maybe  judged 
of  by  the  fact  that  the  lion  measures  thirty  feet  in  length. 

From  Lucerne  to  Vitznau  'is  a  pleasant  steamboat  ride  of 
about  an  hour,  and  here  the  cars  are  in  waiting  for  the  ascent 
of  the  Rigi.  Lake  Lucerne  is  1,434  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  ocean,  and  the  highest  peak  of  the  Rigi  is  4,472  feet 
above  the  lake.  The  north  side  of  the  mountain  is  precipi- 
tous, the  east  and  west  sides  partially  so  ;  but  on  the  south 
are  broad  terraces  and  gentle  slopes,  covered  at  this  season 
by  green  pastures, — which  I  am  informed  sustain  over  4,000 
head  of  cattle.  The  term  Rigi  is  usually  applied  to  a  single 
peak  on  the  north  side,  which  rises  abruptly  from  the  Lake 
of  Lucerne.  It  commands  a  view  of  300  miles  in  circum- 
ference. From  its  nearness  to  Lucerne,  and  the  fine  view 
from  its  summit — probably  the  finest  in  Switzerland — it  has 
for  more  than  a  century  been  much  sought  after  by  tourists. 
The  project  of  a  railroad  to  the  top  of  the  Rigi,  to  super- 
sede the  slow  ascent  by  horses  and  sedans,  was  first  pro- 
posed in  1868,  and  in  1871  the  road  was  completed  from 
Vitznau  to  the  top  of  the  mountain.  The  road  consists  of 
the  usual  rails,  and  of  about  the  usual  width.  The  rails  are 
bolted  to  the  ties  in  the  most  secure  manner.  Each  tie  is 
built  in  a  quarry-stone  foundation,  and  at  each  end  of  the 
tie  runs  an  iron  bar,  to  which  the  ties  are  bolted.  In  the  mid- 
dle of  the  track  is  the  "cogged  rail,"  consisting  of  two  very 
heavy  bars  of  iron,  between  which  are  inserted  the  cogs  on 
which  the  cogged  driving  wheel  of  the  engine  acts.  The 
cogs  are  large,  and  of  wrought  iron,  and  the  ends  of  each  cog 
are  riveted  through  the  longitudinal  rails.  The  utmost  care 
seems  to  have  been  used  in  the  construction  of  the  road,  and 
each  train  is  preceded  by  signal-men,  to  see  that  no  stones 
or  other  obstructions  have  lodged  in  the  cogs  of  the  centre 


IpO  THE    ASCENT. 

rail.  Each  locomotive  drives  but  one  car,  holding  about  fif- 
ty persons.  The  car,  both  in  ascending  and  descending,  is 
above  the  locomotive,  and  is  not  fastened  to  it  in  any  way. 
A  very  perfect  system  of  brakes  is  depended  on  to  stop  and 
hold  the  car  on  the  track,  in  case  of  accident  to  the  engine. 
I  examined  with  much  interest  the  mechanical  arrangements, 
and  in  view  of  the  importance  of  the  center  cogged  wheel, 
resolved  never  again  to  speak  disrespectfully  of  the  "fifth 
wheel  of  a  coach,"  or  use  it  as  a  synonym  for  uselesness  or 
surplusage. 

The  ascent  on  the  principal  grades  is  from  one  foot  in  five, 
to  one  in  four.  The  first  long  grade  by  which  the  ascent  com- 
mences, is  from  almost  the  water's  edge,  one  of  the  steepest, 
and  tries  the  timid  ones  severely.  It  is  easy  to  say  "one  foot 
in  four  ;"  but  just  test  it  by  taking  a  rod  four  feet  long,  and 
elevating  one  end  of  it  twelve  inches  from  the  level  ;  look 
up  it  and  see  how  soon  you  strike  the  top  of  a  house  or 
church,  steeple.  Continue  the  range  to — if  in  Michigan,  an 
imaginary  point,  half  a  mile  distant,  and  suppose  yourself,  if 
you  can,  looking  down  from  that  elevated  plane  to  the  level 
from  which  you  started.  You  may  then  get  some  idea  of  the 
ascent  of  the  Rigi.  I  observed  no  levity  among  the  passen- 
gers on  the  Rigi  railroad  ;  indeed,  if  the  countenance  may 
be  relied  on  as  a  true  index  of  the  inner  workings  of  the 
mind,  I  should  say  that  many  good  resolutions  were  form- 
ed during  the  first  quarter  of  a  mile.  On  reaching  the  sum- 
mit we  have  the  full  view  of  a  scene  of  which  we  had  caught 
occasional  glimpses  while  ascending.  On  one  side  are  the 
mountains  of  the  Oberland,  extending  in  a  continuous  chain 
for  120  miles,  and  covering  almost  half  the  horizon.  The 
Rigi,  though  projected  in  the  foreground,  forms  a  part  of  this 
wonderful  mass  of  mountains,  so  that  on  one  side  it  is  all 
mountains,  and  more  than  200  peaks  are  in  sight.  The  mag- 
nificent Bernese  Alps,  with  their  wild  and  irregular  shapes, 


LAKE    LUCERNE.  IQI 

and  eternal  snows  and  glaciers,  form  the  background.  On 
the  other  side  is  the  most  beautiful  panorama  my  eyes 
ever  rested  on.  For  more  than  fifty  miles  in  distance,  and 
extending  over  more  than  half  the  horizon,  is  an  undulating 
plain,  dotted  with  cities,  villages,  lakes,  rivers,  hills  and  fer- 
tile plains.  At  the  base  of  this  mountain,  and  so  near  that 
it  seems  as  if  one  could  drop  a  pebble  in  their  waters,  are 
Lakes  Lucerne  and  Zug,  with  their  cities.  Nearly  a  dozen 
other  lakes  sparkle  in  the  morning  sun,  and  numerous  small 
rivers,  like  silver  threads,  streak  the  carpet  of  emerald  green 
which  forms  a  background  for  this  scene  of  beauty. 

I  descended  the  Rigi  regretfully,  not  expecting  to  find 
again  on  earth  a  place  affording  such  visions  of  the  beautiful 
and  sublime.  A'distinguished  American  has  spoken  of  it  as 
"the  spot  on  earth  which  seems  to  me  nearest  heaven  !"  I 
regret  much  my  inability  to  give  my  readers  even  a  faint  idea 
of  the  charms  of  this  mountain,  and  of  Lake  Lucerne  and 
its  scenery  : 

"  Such  beauty,  varying  in  the  light 
Of  living  nature,  cannot  be  portrayed 
By  words,  nor  by  the  pencils  silent  skill, 
But  is  the  property  of  those  alone 
Who  have  beheld  it,  noted  it  with  care 
And  in  their  minds  recorded  it  with  love." 

.  Lake  Lucerne  was  formerly  known  as  the  Lake  of  the 
Four  Cantons,  and  on  its  borders  have  occurred  most  of  the 
great  struggles  for  freedom  in  Switzerland.  William  Tell 
was  born  here,  and  his  chapel,  to  which  pilgrimages  have 
been  made  by  all  Switzerland  for  centuries,  is  on  the  east 
shore  of  the  lake.  It  may  do  in  America  to  question  the 
apple  story,  but  not  in  Switzerland.  At  Zurich  they  show 
you  the  cross-bo.w  with  which  it  was  done  ;  and  at  Altorf 
the  150  paces  are  measured  off,  statues  indicating  where 
stood  father  and  son  ;  the  apple,  I  believe,  is  not  exhibited. 
Half  a  century  ago,  some  irreverent  sceptics  at  Berne  ven- 
tured to  publish  a  book,  treating  as  mythical  the  shooting  of 


192  SWITZERLAND. 

the  apple.  This  was  more  than  the  people  could  bear.  The 
authorities  were  aroused  by  the  startling  heresy.  All  copies 
of  the  book  were  collected,  and  publicly  burned,  according 
to  law  ;  and  since  that  time  doubters  have  been  careful  not 
to  rush  into  print — in  Switzerland. 

I  shall  leave  Switzerland  with  enlarged  ideas  of  the  coun- 
try, and  an  increased  respect  for  its  people.  Some  of  the 
cantons  are  largely  Catholic,  and  others  largely  Protestant. 
In  Lucerne  but  one  in  fourteen  are  Protestants  ;  in  Valais, 
one  in  TOO  ;  in  Ticino,  but  one  in  300.  In  Berne  but  one 
in  seven  are  Catholic  ;  in  Zurich,  one  in  eight ;  and  in  Zug, 
but  one  in  seventeen.  In  some  of  the  twenty-two  canton?, 
they  are  of  about  equal  numbers.  There  seems  to  be  no 
jealousy  or  lack  of  unity  among  the  Swiss,  on  account  of  re- 
ligious differences,  as  in  some  other  countries.  Where  else 
can  you  find  such  a  "happy  family"  arrangement  as  at  In- 
terlaken,  where  Roman  Catholics,  Church  of  England, 
French  Protestants,  and  the  Church  of  Scotland,  all  worship 
in  one  old  Catholic  church  J 

I  had  an  impression,  how  formed  I  do  not  know",  that  Alp 
meant  rock,  or  mountain.  Here  it  is  used  to  designate  the 
common  pasture,  where  every  inhabitant  is  entitled  to  the 
pasturage  of  one  cow.  The  average.  )rice  of  a  cow  is  about 
$100,  a  large  sum  in  Switzerland  ;  and  it  is  said  there  are  in 
the  country  more  than  1,000,000  cows.  They  are  of  good 
size,  and  usually  of  a  dark  or  gray  color.  The  average  milk 
of  one  cow  is  estimated  at  thirty  five  pounds  per  day,  and 
of  cheese  225  pounds  per  year.  It  is  said  the  best  cheese 
is  made  from  pastures  over  3,000  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
sea. 


193 


CHAPTER  XI. 

GERMANY BELGIUM. 

Lucerne  to  Strasburg— Strasburg— The  Cathedral — The  Famous  Clock — A 
Legend— St.  Thomas'  Church — Streets  and  Fortifications — Mayence — The 
Cathedral— Market  and  Streets— The  Rhine— Cities,  Villages,  Castles,  and 
Scenery— Cologne -'1  he  Cathedral— Shrine  of  the  Three  Kings— St,  Ursula 
-Bones  and  Relics— Brussels— Hotel  de  Ville— Statues  and  Streets— Water- 
loo-Antwerp—The  Cathedral  — Rubens'  Famous  Picture— Antwerp  to 
London. 

The  railroad  from  Lucerne  to  Strasburg  lies,  for  nearly 
all  the  way,  through  a  fertile  plain.  We  pass  Lake  Sempach, 
where  five  centuries  ago  Winkelreid 

"  Made  way  for  liberty,  and  died." 

Zoffinger,  Olten  and  Liestal  are  passed  and  we  reach  Bale, 
near  the  French  and  German  lines,  a  beautiful  city  of  60,- 
ooo  inhabitants,  and  capital  of  the  Canton  of  the  same  name. 
The  Rhine  is  here  a  very  rapid  stream,  and  about  a 
thousand  feet  wide.  The  old  town  has  an  ancient  appear- 
ance, but  the  newer  portions  of  the  city  are  very  fine,  and 
more  public  improvements  were  in  progress,  and  more  build- 
ings in  process  of  erection  than  in  any  place  I  have  seen  in 
Europe.  We  pass  Swiss  houses,  with  immense  roofs  and 
numerous  dormer  windows,  the  sides  covered  with  very 
small  shingles — say  two  by  four  inches — and  looking  very 
much  like  fish  scales.  In  the  fields  are  two-wheeled  plows 
to  which  horses  or  cows  are  attached,  women  driving  the 
animals  and  sometimes  holding  the  plow.  Indeed,  women 
seem  to  be  doing  the  greater  part  of  the  farm  work,  of  all 
kinds.  On  the  left  are  the  Vosges  mountains,  on  the  right 
the  hills  of  the  Black  Forest;  and  as  it  begins  to  grow  dark, 
we  pass  the  fortress  of  Kehl  and  enter  the  city  of  Strasburg, 
capital  of  the  German  province  of  Alsace  and  containing  a 


194  THE    CATHEDRAL. 

population  of  about  100,000.  For  200  years  Alsace  was  a 
French  province  but  wrested  from  that  power  by  Germany 
in  1870-1.  It  was  in  the  former  year  that  Strasburg  sus- 
tained for  six  weeks,  its  memorable  siege,  evidences  of  which 
are  yet  to  be  found  in  almost  every  direction.  The  people 
do  not  even  yet  take  kindly  to  their  German  Rulers,  but 
Strasburg  has  been  strongly  fortified,  contains  a  whole  army 
corps,  and  will  be  held  as  long  as  Germany  is  able  to 
hold  it. 

I  to*ok  an  early  stroll  through  the  streets,  and  found  them 
narrow  and  very  crooked.  In  fact  it  is  quite  as  easy  to  get 
lost  in  Strasburg  as  in  Boston.  The  only  landmark  is  the 
tall  roof  and  spire  of  the  cathedral,  but  in  trying  to  reach  it 
I  found  the  streets  which  seemed  to  lead  to  it  led  me  in  a 
different  direction.  The  streets,  which  are  kept  quite  clean, 
were  being  swept  by  women.  On  the  river  are  anchored  a 
large  number  of  washing  establishments.  I  am  told  that  all 
the  dirty  clothes  in  the  city  are  taken  to  the  river  to  be 
washed,  and  from  the  amount  of  it  being  done  I  can  easily 
believe  it.  The  floating  wash-houses  are  open  at  the  sides, 
each  containing  about  thirty  women  who  at  this  early  hour 
are  hard  at  work  in  view  of  the  passer-by. 

The  principal  attraction  of  Strasburg  is  its  great  cathedral. 
It  is  one  of  those  wonderful  monuments  of  religious  art 
beqeathed  to  us  by  the  middle  ages,  and  is  erected  on  a  spot 
which  has  been  from  the  remotest  times  devoted  to  worship. 
Here  have  Pagan  rites  and  orgies  been  held  and  sacrifices, 
even  of  human  victims.  The  first  Christian  Church,  was 
erected  by  Clovis  about  the  year  570.  This  church  was  de- 
stroyed by  lightning  in  1007,  and  the  present  building  com- 
menced in  1015,  the  interior  being  finished  in  1275.  The 
spire  was  not  completed 'till  1549.  The  ablest  masters  in 
the  art  of  building,  superintended  its  construction  for  about 
four  centuries.  The  interior  is  362  feet  in  length,  135  feet 


THE    GREAT    CLOCK.  195 

wide,  and  99  feet  high.  Its  spire  is  465  feet,  or  the  height 
of  the  great  pyramid.  Its  facade  contains  a  rose  window  of 
the  finest  stained  glass  thirty-two  feet  in  diameter,  and  three 
entrances.  These  three  portals  are  considered  at  least 
equal  to  anything  of  the  kind  in  existence,  and  are  covered, 
as  is  almost  the  entire  front,  with  statues  and  groups  illus- 
trating Scripture  scenes.  In  the  niches  are  some  equestrian 
statues  dating  from  1219.  I  tried  to  take  in  its  vast  dimen- 
sions from  the  outside,  but  found  no  point  quite  satisfactory, 
and  wished  myself  Emperor  of  Germany  long  enough  to 
order  the  demolition  of  two  rows  of  houses,  which  would 
afford  a  fair  front  view.  The  interior  is  grand  beyond  de- 
scription. Western  readers  will  more  readily  comprehend 
its  great  size  when  given  familiarly  as  eight  by  twenty-two 
rods  !  The  supporting  columns  are  of  immense  size  but 
fine  proportions.  As  I  entered,  the  full  organ  was  being 
played  and  soon  the  voices  of  a  choir  directed  me  to  the 
place  where  service  was  held.  I  parsed  around  among  the 
pillars  and  side  chapels  to  catch  the  music  as  it  echoed 
through  the  lofty  building,  producing  sometimes  fine  and 
even  startling  effects.  The  organ  built  by  Silberman  was 
struck  by  a  shell  during  the  seige  and  greatly  injured, 
but  is  said  to  be  quite  as  good  as  new  since  having  been 
repaired.  The  pulpit,  erected  in  1486,  is  a  fine  specimen, 
of  wood  carving,  adorned  by  over  fifty  little  statues  rep- 
resenting Scripture  characters  and  scenes.  During  the 
bombardment  the  building  was  very  much  injured,  but 
the  conquerors  have  made  haste  to  repair  all  damages.  The 
view  from  the  top  of  the  cathedral  is  very  fine  and  takes  in 
the  Jura  mountains,  Baden,  the  Black  Forest,  and  the 
Rhine. 

Almost  every  person  has  heard  of  the  great  Strasburg 
clock,  and  every  day  at  noon  a  crowd  collects  to  see  it 
strike  the  hour  of  twelve.  Several  priests  are  in  attendance 


196  A    LEGEND. 

to  preserve  order  and  give  any  desired  information.  The 
clock  is  on  the  ground  floor,  and  seems  to  be  about 
thirty  feet  high.  The  case  was  made  in  1574  for  an  older 
clock  ;  the  machinery  of  this  was  completed  in  1842.  The 
first  of  these  famous  clocks  was  made  in  1354,  and  all 
have  been  master-pieces  of  mechanical  ingenuity.  The 
present  clock  shows  true  and  siderial  time,  the  motions 
and  relations  of  the  planets,  indicates  by  a  perpetual  cal- 
endar all  movable  feasts  and  holidays,  eclipses  of  the  sun 
and  moon  for  all  time,  precession  of  the  equinoxes,  signs 
of  the  zodiac,  and  other  things  too  complicated  for  the 
ordinary  mind  to  take  in.  Immediately  over  the  dial  is  a 
skeleton  figure  of  Death  which  strikes  the  hours.  Around 
him  are  figures  representing  Childhood,  Youth,  Manhood, 
and  Old  Age.  Childhood  strikes  the  first  quarter,  Youth 
the  second,  Manhood  the  third,  and  Old  Age  the  last. 
The  first  stroke  of  each  quarter  is  struck  by  one  of  two 
Genii  seated  above  the  calendar,  the  four  ages  striking 
the  second.  While  Death  strikes  the  hours,  the  second 
of  these  Genii  turns  over  an  hour  glass  which  he  holds 
in  his  hand.  At  the  hour  of  noon  two  doors  open,  an 
image  of  the  Savior  steps  out,  the  twelve  apostles  pass 
bowing  before  him,  while  with  uplifted  hands  he  blesses 
each  one.  A  rooster  flaps  his  wings  and  crows  three 
times — the  best  mechanical  crowing  I  ever  heard. 

Being  in  Germany,  the  clock  has  a  legend,  which  is  of 
course  received  as  gospel,  by  the  masses,  and,  as  told  by  the 
guide,  is  about  as  follows  :  The  maker  of  the  original  clock 
had  a  beautiful  daughter,  whose  hand  was  sought  by  one  of 
the  magistrates  of  the  town.  Her  heart,  however,  had  been 
given  to  an  apprentice  of  her  father,  and  the  old  man  had 
consented  that  their  union  should  take  place,  as  soon  as  the 
clock  was  finished.  Its  completion  excited  general  curiosi- 
ty, and  it  was  bought  by  the  city,  to  be  placed  in  the  great 


THE   GREAT  CLOCK    AT   STRASSBURG. 


ST.    THOMAS     CHURCH.  197 

cathedral.  The  authorities  of  Bale  hearing  of  its  wonderful 
mechanism,  ordered  one  just  like  it,  for  that  city.  The 
magistrates  of  Strasburg  endeavored  to  extort  from  the  ma- 
ker a  promise  that  he  would  not  make  another  clock  like  it, 
which  the  old  man  refused  to  give.  The  magistrate  who 
had  been  refused  by  the  old  man's  daughter,  persuaded  the 
others  to  order  that  his  eyes  should  be  put  out,  so  as  to 
prevent  him  from  making  any  more  clocks.  Sentence  was 
pronounced  accordingly.  The  clockmaker  requested  that 
it  might  be  carried  out  in  the  presence  of  his  much  loved 
clock,  which  he  said  required  a  few  finishing  touches  for  its 
completion.  His  request  was  granted,  and  in  the  presence 
of  the  magistrates  and  townspeople,  who  had  gathered  to 
see  sentence  executed,  the  old  man  busied  himself  for  a  few 
moments  with  the  machinery.  His  eyes  were  put  out,  and 
at  that  moment  a  noise  was  heard — the  weights  fell  to 
the  ground  ;  the  old  man  had  ruined  his  clock,  which  could 
not  be  repaired,  and  remained  useless  for  two  centuries.  It 
is  needless  to  inform  novel  readers  that  the  cruel  magistrate 
was  deposed,  the  young  couple  married,  etc. 

St.  Thomas'  Church  contains  a  monument  to  Marshal 
Saxe,  by  a  celebrated  sculptor  who  is  said  to  have  worked 
on  it  for  over  twenty  years.  The  marshal  is  represented  as 
descending  into  a  tomb,  opened  for  him  by  death,  while  a 
female  figure,  representing  France,  is  endeavoring  to  detain 
him.  On  the  left  is  a  lion,  eagle  and  leopard,  with  the  bro- 
ken flags  of  England,  Austria  and  Holland,  intended  to  rep- 
resent the  marshal's  victories  over  those  countries,  in  the 
Flemish  wars.  There  are  many  other  monuments,  some  of 
them  quite  fine.  In  a  side  chapel  are  two  mummies,  a  duke 
of  Nassau  and  his  daughter,  who  died  over  200  years  ago. 
The  clothing  is  in  good  preservation.  The  remains  of  the 
duke  may  be  looked  at,  but  the  daughter  should  be  buried 
at  once. 


198  THE  FORTIFICATIONS. 

One  of  the  singular  exports  of  Strasburg,  is  called  fate  de 
fois gras,  or,  vulgarly,  goose  liver  pie.  This  luxury  is  obtained 
by  abusing  the  poor  goose,  in  some  way,  so  as  to  give  it  the 
liver  complaint.  The  enlarged  liver  is  encouraged  by  ex- 
perts till  it  gets  to  weigh  several  pounds,  and  when  cooked, 
is  considered  by  epicures  a  delicious  and  toothsome  delica- 
cy, for  which  they  are  willing  to  pay  a  large  price.  During 
the  siege,  while  the  people  of  Strasburg  were  suffering  by 
famine,  the  gourmands  of  Europe  were  suffering  for  their 
pie  ;  the  geese,  however,  while  any  of  them  remained,  were 
permitted  to  enjoy  good  health. 

I  examined  the  fortifications  carefully,  and  was  surprised 
to  find  how  much  labor  can  be  expended  in  protecting  one 
city.  The  inner  line  of  earthworks  is  continuous,  the  city 
being  entered  by  gates  of  great  strength.  In  these  earth- 
works are  galleries,  vaults,  and  bombproofs,  on  a  most  ex- 
tensive scale.  Three  or  four  miles  outside  is  a  line  of  forts, 
as  strong  as  military  science  can  suggest,  and  between  these 
and  the  city  there  is  room  for  a  large  army  to  encamp. 
About  20,000  troops  were  in  Strasburg  yesterday,  but  they 
had  mostly  left  for  a  grand  review,  some  ten  miles  distant. 
I  saw  several  regiments  as  they  marched  out  of  the  city. 
The  men  were  of  good  size,  and  marched  finely.  The  bands 
were  excellent.  The  martial  music  was  new  to  me,  consist- 
ing only  of  drums  and  trumpets,  played  alternately,  and 
was  of  a  character  to  almost  lift  a  man  off  his  feet.  I  have 
seldom  heard  anything  more  inspiring.  In  the  streets  one 
.  becomes  interested  in  the  curious  and  ancient  looking 
houses  and  public  buildings.  Brand  Sfrasseis  pointed  out  as 
the  place  where,  in  1349,  2,000  Jews  were  burned,  to  arrest 
the  ravages  of  a  plague.  I  was  surprised  at  the  great  num- 
ber of  storks  to  be  seen,  and  at  their  building  their  nests, 
unmolested,  on  the  chimney  tops  ;  but  learned  that  they  are 
held  in  great  esteem  by  the  people,  who  regard  their  selec- 


MAYENCE.  199 

tion  of  a  chimney  top  as  bringing  good  luck  to  the  dwellers 
in  the  house.  In  Guttenberg  square,  one  of  the  finest  in  the 
city,  is  a  statue  of  Guttenberg,  who  made  his  first  experi- 
ment in  the  art  of  printing  in  this  place.  Also  a  fine  statue 
of  Marshal  Kleber,  in  a  square  of  the  same  name. 

From  Strasburg  to  Mayence  the  railroad  passes  through 
the  valley  of  the  Rhine,  which  is  an  extended  plain  and 
under  fine  cultivation.  We  catch  frequent  views  of  the 
river  as  we  approach  the  ancient  city  of  Mayence,  con- 
taining a  population  of  about  50,000,  It  is  on  the  left 
bank  of  the  Rhine,  nearly  opposite  its  junction  with  the 
Main.  A  Roman  fortress,  part  of  which  still  exists,  was 
built  on  the  site  of  the  present  citadel  of  Mayence  fourteen 
years  before  the  Christian  era.  After  the  introduction  of 
Christianity  Mayence  became  the  residence  of  the  Arch- 
bishops of  Germany.  Later  the  archbishops  became  electors 
and  Premier  Princes  of  the  German  empire,  presiding  at 
diets,  and  at  the  election  of  emperors.  Mayence  was  the 
birthplace  and  residence  of  Guttenberg,  the  inventor  of 
moveable  types,  and  the  site  of  his  first  printing  office 
1443-50  is  shown.  The  city  is  strongly  fortified  and  has 
been  independent,  French,  Prussian,  or  German,  as  the 
chances  of  war  determined.  Its  principal  street  which  is 
on  the  river's  bank  contains  some  fair  residences  and 
quite  a  number  of  good  looking  hotels.  The  other  streets 
are  narrow  and  crooked,  terminating  unexpectedly  in  open 
spaces  or  squares,  and  making  it  difficult  to  find  the  way 
in  any  direction.  There  are  many  fountains  and  monu- 
ments, among  them  a  remarkably  fine  bronze  statue  of 
Guttenberg,  by  Thorwaldsen,  and  one  of  Schiller.  In  a 
stroll  through  the  city  at  night  I  lost  my  way  in  a  manner  I 
did  not  expect  In  so  small  a  place,  but  on  going  over  the 
ground  again  in  the  morning  to  see  how  it  was  done  I  was 
not  at  all  surprised  at  it.  I  visited  the  market  near  the 


200  THE    CATHEDRAL. 

cathedral  at  an  early  hour  and  found  about  as  primitive  ar- 
rangements as  one  could  desire.  Small  carts  drawn  by  the 
family  cow  were  bringing  in  farm  products,  and  the  most 
German  looking  old  ladies  I  ever  saw,  in  stiffly  starched  and 
very  clean  two  story  caps  were  arranging  their  little  stalls 
for  the  business  of  the  day.  Those  whose  supplies  had  not 
yet  arrived  were  redeeming  the  time  by  knitting,  gossiping 
the  mean  while  with  each  other.  It  was  about  such  a  pic- 
ture of  German  life  as  I  have  occasionally  seen  in  engrav- 
ings, and  wondered  if  anything  so  primitive  were  possible 
in  this  century. 

The  cathedral  forms  one  side  of  the  market  ground,  is  of 
red  sandstone,  and  looks  exceedingly  old.  The  style  is 
called  pure  Romanesque,  and  is  unlike  most  German 
churches.  It  was  founded  in  988;  the  oldest  part  of  the 
present  building  dates  from  1136,  with  additions  made  in 
1239-91.  I  was  greatly  surprised  to  find  in  it  more  and 
finer  monuments  than  in  any  continental  church  I  have  yet 
seen,  principally  of  archbishops  and  electors.  The  arch- 
bishops of  Mayence  had  the  right  of  placing  the  crown  on 
the  heads  of  the  German  emperors,  and  their  monuments 
represent  some  of  them  in  this  act.  One  who  died  in  1320 
is  surrounded  by  the  emperorof  Germany,  king  of  Bavaria, 
and  king  of  Bohemia.  The  archbishop  is  life-size,  the 
emperor  and  kings  are  only  about  half  life-size,  giving  them 
the  appearance  of  boys,  and  presenting  a  somewhat  ludi- 
crous appearance.  Another  queer  monument  is  that  of 
General  Lamberg  who  died  in  1689.  The  general  is  some- 
what corpulent,  wears  a  very  large  wig  and  is  represented  as 
being  squeezed  down  into  his  bier  by  death.  Two  ancient 
chalices  of  the  tenth  century,  and  a  font  of  the  fourteenth 
century  in  which  Guttenberg  was  baptized,  are  shown.  An 
interesting  relic  is  the  brazen  doors  on  the  north  side  of  the 
cathedral,  of  the  tenth  century.  In  1125  the  emperor  of 


THE    RHINE.  2OI 


Germany  imprisoned  the  archbishop  of  Mayence.  The 
citizens  seized  the  emperor  and  held  him  as  hostage  till  the 
archbishop  was  released.  On  these  doors  the  grateful 
archbishop  caused  to  be  engraved  an  edict  granting  special 
privileges  to  the  town  and  its  citizens. 

I  took  the  steamer  for  Cologne,  with  high  anticipations  of 
a  day's  pleasure  on  the  far  famed  Rhine.  The  river  has  an 
eventful  history  as  a  great  national  highway,  as  the  scene  of 
important  historical  events,  and  the  theater  of  many  deadly 
conflicts.  Its  entire  length  is  870  miles  and  from  Bale  to  its 
mouth,  570  miles,  it  is  navigable.  Its  fine  scenery,  of  which 
I  have  heard  from  childhood,  is  found  between  Mayence 
and  Cologne,  a  distance  of  118  miles.  Our  boat,  a  side- 
wheeler,  and  very  much  like  an  American  river  steamer, 
carried  over  two  hundred  passengers.  I  had  the  good 
fortune  to  meet  with  a  German  gentleman  thoroughly 
familiar  with  the  river,  .who  spoke  fair  English  and  kindly 
pointed  out  to  me  objects  of  interest  on  the  way. 

We  soon  pass  some  celebrated  vineyards,  Winkel,  where 
Charlemagne  kept  his  wine  cellar,  Eltville,  Rauenthal,  Er- 
bach  and  Oestrich.  We  also  pass  the  chateau  and  vineyard 
of  Johannisberg  the  property  of  Prince  Metternich.  Wine 
drinkers  the  world  over,  who  have  smacked  their  lips  over 
the  "genuine  Johannisberg,"  may  be  interested  to  know  that 
this  celebrated  vineyard  contains  nearly  seventy  acres,  and 
produces  forty  butts  of  wine  per  year,  nearly  enough  to 
supply  Prince  Metternich  and  his  numerous  friends.  A 
number  of  handsome  villages  are  passed  and  we  reach 
Bingen,  "fair  Bingen  on  the  Rhine."  It  is  a  village  of  7,000 
inhabitants,  beautifully  situated  at  the  mouth  of  the  river 
Nahe.  The  scenery  now  becomes  interesting  and  we  soon 
reach  the  "  Mouse  Tower,"  built  on  a  rock  in  the  river, 
where  according  to  a  popular  legend  the  rats  took  vengeance 
on  the  wicked  Bishop  Hatto;  they 


202  RUINED    CASTLES. 

' '  Whetted  their  teetli  against  the  stones, 
And  then  they  picked  the  bishops  bones." 

As  we  pass  the  tower  an  English  lady  read  aloud  Southey's 
beautiful  poem,  to  many  interested  listeners.  We  now  pass 
through  the  Rheingau  a  famous  wine  district.  The  sides  of 
the  hills  and  rocks  are  covered  with  vines.  Every  available 
foot  of  ground  on  the  river's  bank  is  devoted  to  vine  culture; 
even  rocky  steeps,  where  I  can  see  no  way  of  approach 
except  by  a  step  ladder  or  balloon,  are  cultivated  and  said 
to  produce  the  choicest  wines. 

We  pass  the  precipitous  rock,  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
above  the  river,  where 

'•  Cliff-anchored  Rheinstein  lifts  its  walls." 

The  castle  has  been  completely  restored,  and  gives  one  a 
good  idea  of  how  these  old  strongholds  used  to  look.  The 
German  flag  floats  from  its  highest  turret,  and  an  old 
fashioned  crane  supporting  a  basket  swings  from  one  of  the 
towers. 

Ruined  castles  become  monotonous.  We  pass  Falken- 
burg,  Sooneck,  Heinsburg,  Nollingen,  Sanerberg,  Fursten- 
berg,  Stahleck,  Pfalz,  Gutenfels,  Schonberg  and  reach  the 
celebrated  Lurlie  Rock,  perpendicular  and  bare,  rising^  400 
feet  above  the  Rhine.  On  this  famed  rock  in  olden  time 
sat  the  beautiful  siren,  who,  by  her  fine  singing,  lured  the 
boatmen  to  their  destruction  in  the  whirlpool  at  her  feet, 
till  at  last  overcome  by  love  she  herself  plunged  into  the 
treacherous  waters.  Poets  and  painters  have  made  the 
most  of  this  legend.  But,  alas  !  for  romance — a  flagstaff 
bearing  the  prosaic  German  flag  occupies  the  siren's  seat, 
and  from  a  tunnel  in  the  fabled  rock  an  express  train  was 
emerging  with  a  whistle  that  would  have  astonished  the 
beautiful  sorceress.  Between  Mayence  and  the  Lurlie  we 
have  passed  the  villages  of  Eltville,  Schlangenbad,  Oestrich, 
Geisenhaim,  Rudesheim,  Lorchhausen,  Baeharach,  Caub 
and  Oberwesel,  all  ancient  looking  and  picturesque.  We 


STOLZENFELS.  203 

v 

soon  pass  St.  Goar,  near  which  is  tlie  ruins  of  the  magnifi- 
cent castle  of  Rheinfels,  We  also  pass  the  castles  of  Katz, 
Reichenberg,  Thurnberg,  Sterenberg,  Liebenstein,  Walden- 
burg,  and  Lahneck.  Three  miles  above  Coblentz: 

"  O'er  the  river's  levelcurrent  Stolzenfels  leans  wondrou-  fair, 
Like  a  sunset  cloud  in  summer,  pillowed  on  dissolving  air, 
With  its  burnished  towers  and  balcons,  and  its  bannered 

State  and  pride, 
With  fantastic  battlements,  sun-illumined,  glorified. " 

The  beautiful  castle  of  Stolzenfels,  of  which  the  frontis- 
piece is  an  illustration,  is  on  a  rocky  eminence  four  hund- 
red feet  above  the  Rhine.  After  being  a  ruin  for  centuries, 
it  was  restored  by  the  king  of  Prussia,  and  is  now  used  oc- 
casionally as  a  royal  residence.  It  would  be  difficult  to  find 
a  more  charming  situation  or  finer  scenery. 

Coblentz,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Moselle,  is  a  handsome 
town  of  25,000  inhabitants,  and  is  strongly  fortified.  On 
the  opposite  bank  of  the  river  is  the  fortress  of  Ehrenbreit- 
stein,  the  "  Gibraltar  of  the  Rhine,"  on  a  rock  almost  per- 
pendicular and  400  feet  high.  Its  precipitous  sides  are 
covered  with  batteries  and  towers.  It  will  afford  shelter  to 
100,000  troops  or  can  be  fully  manned  by  5,000.  Its  maga- 
zines are  calculated  to  store  food  and  supplies  for  5,000 
men  for  fifteen  years.  It  is  used  also  as  a  German  arsenal 
for  war  material  of  all  kinds.  It  was  once  starved  out  by 
the  French,  who  on  abandoning  it  blew  up  its  principal 
fortifications,  and  at  the  end  of  the  war  paid  the  Prussians 
$3,000,000  toward  its  restoration.  Below  Coblentz  the  river 
widens,  the  shores  become  level,  ruined  castles  are  not  so 
common  and  thriving  villages  and  towns  are  more  frequent. 
We  reach  Drachenfels,  one  of  the  seven  mountains,  where, 
eight  hundred  and  fifty  feet  above  the  river,  on  its  vine-clad 

height, 

"  The  castled  crag  of  Drachenfels 
Frowns  o'er  the  wild  and  winding  Rhine; 
Whose  breast  of  waters  broadly  swells, 
Between  the  banks  which  bear  the  vine." 
12 


204  RHINE    ASSOCIATIONS. 

Passing  the  university  city  of  Bonn,  which  from  the  river 
seems  quite  attractive,  we  reach  Cologne,  where  my  Rhine 
journey  ends. 

While  I  must  confess  its  natural  scenery  did  not  quite 
meet  my  expectations,  the  history  and  associations  of  the 
famed  Rhine  interested  me  very  much.  Born  amid  the 
glaciers  of  the  Alps,  fed  by  mountain  torrents,  and  draining 
a  thousand  valleys,  it  has,  after  lending  the  charm  of  its 
presence  to  the  most  wild  and  picturesque  scenery,  become 
a  sluggish  stream,  winding  its  useful  way  from  Cologne  to 
the  flat  and  unromantic  coast  of  Holland.  Probably  no 
other  stream  in  the  world  is  so  interwoven  with  the  tradi- 
tions, the  history,  the  patriotism,  the  aspirations,  the  affec- 
tions of  a  nation  as  the  "  German  Rhine."  Its  real  history 
bids  fair  to  be  lost  in  its  countless  legends.  The  titled 
robbers  who  for  centuries  levied  blackmail  on  its  commerce, 
and  built  the  picturesque  strongholds,  the  ruins  of  which 
line  its  banks,  to  enforce  their  demands,  are  rather  remem- 
bered as  the  heroes  of  some  love  adventure  or  fairy  tale, 
than  as  the  piratical  freebooters  they  really  were. 

I  was  much  surprised  at  the  lack  of  interest  manifested 
by  my  fellow  passengers  in  the  river  scenery.  A  passing  tug 
or  raft  would  engage  their  exclusive  attention  while  passing 
places  of  the  greatest  interest;  and  the  movement  of  trains, 
which  run  on  both  banks  of  the  river  through  numerous 
tunnels,  excited  general  attention.  At  noon  I  felt  as  if  I  could 
have  dinner  most  any  day,  but  never  again  a  view  of  Rhine 
scenery  ;  with  most  of  the  passengers  it  was  different,  and 
eating  and  drinking  was  the  absorbing  occupation  on  deck 
rom  Mayence  to  Cologne.  From  the  number  of  alpen- 
stocks on  board  most  of  the  passengers  must  have  visited 
Switzerland.  It  is  considered  quite  the  thing  to  provide 
one's  self  with  this  badge  of  Swiss  travel,  and  all  travelers  in 
Switzerland  must  resist  temptation  or  buy  an  alpenstock.  It 


COLOGNE.  205 

is  a  staff  five  to  six  feet  long,  with  a  spike  at  one  end  and 
hook  at  the  other.  Its  possession  is  supposed  in  some  way 
to  indicate  wonderful  adventures  and  hair  breadth  escapes 
on  mountain  and  glacier.  The  names  of  the  mountains  as- 
cended are  usually  branded  on  the  sides,  and  even  on  Rigi, 
which  I  ascended  by  a  railroad,  a  dealer  insisted  on  selling 
me  an  alpenstock  marked  "Rigi!" 

The  city  of  Cologne  is  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Rhine,  and 
is  strongly  fortified.  It  is  connected  with  its  suburb  Deutz, 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  by  a  bridge  of  boats  1,400 
feet  long,  and  also  by  a  most  imposing  double  iron  bridge 
intended  for  both  railway  and  carriage  traffic.  The  popula- 
tion is  about  130,000.  A  Roman  fortress  was  built  here  in 
the  time  of  Tiberius.  Agrippina,  the  mother  of  the  Em- 
peror Nero,  was  born  here  in  the  camp  of  her  father, 
Germanicus.  During  the  reign  of  her  son  she  sent  a  colony 
of  Roman  veterans,  and  named  the  place  for  herself,  Col- 
onia  Agrippina.  The  Emperor  Constantine  built  a  bridge 
across  the  Rhine,  the  pillars  of  which  can  be  seen  at 
low  water.  It  afterwards  became  a  principal  city  of  the 
Franks,  \vhose  king,  Clovis,  was  crowned  here.  The 
streets  are  narrow  and  very  crooked  ;  the  side  walks,  where 
there  are  any,  will  not  average  over  two  feet  in  width. 
The  stores  look  well  and  make  a  fine  display  of  their 
wares.  Most  persons  are  familiar  with  Coleridge's  epi- 
gram : 

"  Ye  nymphs  who  reign  over  sewers  and  sinks, 

The  River  Rhine,  it  is  well  known, 

Doth  wash  your  City  of  Cologne ; 
But  tell  me  nymphs,  what  power  divine 
Shall  henceforth  wash  the  River  Rhine?" 

To  my  surprise  I  found  the  city  quite  clean,  with  no 
smell  to  disturb  the  traveler  unless  foolish  enough  to 
employ  his  nose  in  a  vain  endeavor  to  discover  the 
"  original  and  only  genuine  Cologne  water,"  of  which 


206  COLOGNE    CATHEDRAL. 

there  are  said  to  be  forty  makers,  more  or  less,  in  the  city 
This  popular  cosmetic,  known  in  almost  all  civilized 
lands,  was  first  made  by  one  Jean  Marie  Farina.  The 
family  name  of  "  Farina "  has  not  been  permitted  to  run 
out,  and  "  Jean  Maries  "  are  numerous.  The  guides,  too, 
seem  possessed  with  the  idea  that  the  traveler's  sole  object 
in  visiting  the  city  is  to  purchase  cologne  water,  and  their 
persistence  in  recommending  their  favorite  and  only  origi- 
nal Jean  Marie  becomes  annoying. 

The  great  attraction  of  Cologne  is  its  famed  cathedral, 
considered  by  many  the  finest  gothic  structure  in  the  world. 
It  is  of  vast  dimensions  ;  leangth  512  feet,  width  at  the  tran- 
septs 282  feet,  and  ceiling  200  feet  high — or  roughly,  in 
western  measurement,  seventeen  by  thirty-one  rods  on  the 
ground,  and  twelve  rods  to  the  ceiling  !  Its  towers  are  512 
feet  high,  the  farthest  point  from  mother  earth,  at  present 
reached  by  any  work  of  human  hands.  It  was  commenced 
in  1248,  and  hardly  yet  completed.  A  building  so  vast 
can  only  be  appreciated  by  an  examination  of  its  parts 
in  detail.  Take  for  instance  the  porches — that  at  the 
south  end  was  built  by  the  present  emperor  of  Germany, 
at  a  cost  of  over  half  a  million  dollars  !  The  west  front 
is  still  more  imposing ;  it  has  two  towers  and  three  porches, 
the  great  central  porch  being  ninety  feet  high  and  thirty 
feet  wide.  To  describe  the  wealth  of  carving  and  statuary 
that  ornament  this  grand  entrance,  the  work  of  centuries, 
would  require  volumes — and  yet  it  is  only  one  of  the 
entrance  ways  !  .To  give  the  vast  building  its  finishing, 
touches,  has,  it  is  said,  cost  during  the  past  forty  years 
five  million  dollars.  I  was  not,  as  at  Strasburg,  impress- 
ed with  the  exceeding  beauty  and  gracefulness  of  the 
structure,  but  rather  overpowered  by  its  immensity.  From 
a  stairway  inside  I  reached  the  level  of  the  ceiling ; 
looking  down,  the  worshipers  seemed  like  pigmies.  The 


SHRINE    OF    THE    THREE    KINGS.  207 

windows  correspond  in  size  with  the  building,  and  are  of 
finely  stained  glass.  The  walls  are  decorated  with  glass 
paintings  and  frescoes.  Round  the  choir  stand  fourteen 
colossal  statues  of  Christ,  the  Virgin,  and  twelve  apostles, 
sculptured  in  the  fourteenth  century. 

But  it  is  not  the  great  wealth  of  decoration  in  the  in- 
terior that  impresses  one  ;  it  is  the  massive  columns  and 
arches  supporting  the  lofty  ceiling,  which  seems  but  a 
lower  sky.  There  is  a  legend  about  the  plan  of  the  ca- 
thedral :  The  architect  was  walking  by  the  bank  of  the 
river  in  despair  of  finding  any  design  of  sufficient  grand- 
eur, and  sketching  in  the  sand  such  designs  as  occurred 
to  him,  when  his  Satanic  majesty  appeared  and  informed 
him  that  he  could  suggest  something  much  finer,  and 
pulled  from  his  pocket  the  plan  of  Cologne  Cathedral. 
Surprised  at  the  apparition,  and  knowing  well  that  his 
soul  would  be  the  price  demanded  for  the  design,  the 
architect  cunningly  inquired  as  to  all  the  details,  treasur- 
ing them  up  in  his  memory.  Having  done  this,  he  coolly 
informed  the  devil  that  it  did  not  suit  him  and  he  would 
not  take  it.  The  evil  one  saw  that  he  had  been  out- 
witted, and  exclaimed  in  a  rage,  "You  may  build  it  ac- 
cording to  my  plan,  but  you  will  never  finish  it."  It 
would  almost  seem  as  if  the  devil  might  be  reckoned 
among  the  prophets,  as  after  six  centuries  it  is  not  yet 
quite  completed. 

A  small  chapel  back  of  the  high  altar  is  known  as  the 
shrine  of  the  three  kings.  A  large  silver  case  is  said  to 
contain  the  bones  of  the  wise  men  who  came  from  the 
east  to  find  the  infant  Savior.  Their  skulls  are  shown 
crowned  with  gold  and  precious  stones,  their  names 
"Caspar,"  "Melchior,"  and  "Balthazar,"  being  worked 
in  with  rubies.  These  remains  are  said  to  have  been 
brought  to  Constantinople  by  the  Empress  Helena,  and 


208  CHURCH    OF    ST.    URSULA. 

afterwards  were  taken  to  the  City  of  Milan.  When  the 
Emperor  Barbarosa  captured  Milan  he  caused  the  precious 
relics  to  be  removed  to  Cologne.  The  remains  of  St. 
Englebert  are  preserved  in  a  shrine  made  of  silver,  and 
weighing  149  pounds.  There  are  shrines  of  less  value, 
Episcopal  crooks  800  to  1,000  years  old,  the  sword  of 
justice  borne  by  the  electors  of  Cologne  at  the  corona- 
tion of  the  emperors,  ancient  vestments,  vessels,  mons- 
trances, etc.,  also  some  very  fine  carved  work  in  ivory. 
The  value  of  the  gold,  silver  and  precious  stones  in  this 
chapel,  is  estimated  at  nearly  two  million  dollars. 

I  made  an  early  morning  visit  to  the  Church  of  St.  Ursula, 
and  found  a  large  congregation  in  attendance.  A  priest  was 
reading  in  German,  the  people  heartily  responding  in  the 
same  language.  It  seemed  to  me  very  much  like  the  method 
of  the  English  Church.  I  heard  here,  for  the  first  time, 
congregational  singing  in  a  Roman  Catholic  Church,  and  it 
was  very  fine.  The  solemn  music  of  the  Mass  sounded  pe- 
culiarly mournful  and  tender,  as  its  minor  strains,  taken  up 
by  hundreds  of  male  and  female  voices  in  unison,  echoed 
through  the  lofty  arches.  Seeing  an  old  lady  with  white, 
starched  cap,  sitting  by  one  of  the  doors,  I  tried  to  find 
where  the  interesting  relics,  for  which  this  church  is  famous, 
might  be  found,  by  pointing  around  the  walls,  and  repeating 
the  words  "bones,"  and  "virgins,"  several  times.  She  seem- 
ed to  understand  me,  and  rising,  deliberately  walked  up  to 
the  altar,  and  held  conversation  with  one  of  the  priests,  who 
immediately  walked  down  the  long  aisle  towards  where  I 
was  standing.  I  was  startled  and  annoyed  at  the  audacity 
of  the  woman,  and  felt  very  much  like  making  a  hasty  re- 
treat. I  was,  however,  at  once  reassured,  by  the  priest  say- 
ing to  me  in  a  pleasant  tone,  and  in  good  English  :  "  The 
service  will  be  over  in  about  ten  minutes,  when  I  will  show 
you  the  relics." 


A    LEGEND.  209 

There  is  a  legend,  that,  some  1,400  years  ago,  St.  Ursula 
went  up  the  Rhine  on  a  pilgrimage  to  Rome,  accompanied 
by  n,ooo  virgins.  Returning,  they  were  all  murdered  by 
the  Huns,  for  refusing  to  break  their  vows  of  chastity. 
Their  bones  were  gathered  together,  brought  to  Cologne,  and 
buried  in  a  common  grave,  over  which  the  present  Church 
of  St.  Ursula  was  built,  more  than  850  years  ago.  The 
bones  were  afterwards  exhumed,  and  brought  inside  the 
building.  Nearly  2,000  skulls,  with  bones  innumerable,  are 
exhibited  in  receptacles  all  round  the  church.  Many  of  the 
skulls  are  adorned  below  the  forehead  by  beautiful  embroid- 
ery and  needle-work,  made  by  pious  hands.  But  the  chief 
interest  centers  in  the  room  known  as  the  treasury,  into 
which,  as  soon  as  the  service  was  over,  I  was  conducted  by 
the  priest.  It  is  about  thirty  feet  square,  and  contains  over 
700  skulls.  The  walls,  which  are  high,  are  entirely  covered 
with  bones,  ingeniously  and  symmetrically  arranged.  Ima- 
gine wreaths  and  bouquets  of  finger  bones,  pious  inscrip- 
tions worked  out  in  small  bones,  with  leg  bones  for  the  capi- 
tals, crosses  and  symbolical  designs  in  which  all  the  bones 
are  utilized,  etc.,  etc.  A  silver  box,  holding  about  a  half 
peck  of  teeth,  beautiful  and  white,  as  virgin's  teeth  should 
be,  was  shown  me.  I  was  somewhat  amused  to  observe  the 
familiar,  yet  tender  care  with  which  the  priest  touched  or 
handled  the  bones  and  skulls,  as  if  he  had  known  them  all 
in  their  lifetime,  and  as  if  a  skull  or  leg  bone  was  the  most 
natural  and  pleasant  memento  in  the  world.  In  special  glass 
cases  may  be  seen  the  skulls  of  St.  Ursula,  her  lover, 
Conan,  and  some  of  the  principal  virgins,  the  bones  of  St. 
Ursula's  arms,  and  of  one  of  her  feet,  a  finger  bone  of  St. 
Stephen,  the  first  martyr,  and  a  part  of  the  chain  with  which 
St.  Peter  was  bound  at  Rome.  I  had  also  the  privilege  of 
examining  one  of  the  "  water  pots"  used  by  our  Savior  in 
performing  his  first  miracle  at  Cana  of  Galilee.  One  handle 


210  ST.    PETERS    CHURCH. 

is  gone,  the  edges  are  worn  by  the  pouring  out  of  water,  in- 
deed, in  some  places  it  is  worn  so  thin  as  to  be  nearly  trans- 
parent. It  holds  about  four  gallons,  and  is  evidently  very 
old.  I  was  also  shown  three  thorns  from  the  crown  worn 
by  our  Savior  on  the  cross,  a  piece  of  the  true  cross,  and 
other  relics. 

Cologne  has  many  other  places  of  interest,  among  them 
at  least  a  dozen  fine  churches.  Some  of  these  I  visited.  At 
St.  Peter's  Church  I  saw  Rubens'  famous  picture  of  the  cru- 
cifixion of  St.  Peter.  The  apostle  is  represented  as  cruci- 
fied head  downward,  and  I  never  looked  at  anything  so  hor- 
ribly suggestive  of  human  agony.  It  may  be  a  very  fine 
painting,  but  the  briefest  examination  was  enough  for  me. 
The  house  in  which  Mary  of  Medicis  died  and  in  which  Ru- 
bens was  born,  was  pointed  out,  also  an  old  Roman  tower, 
in  excellent  preservation.  The  public  buildings  are  sub- 
stantial structures,  and  look  well.  They  are  to-day  decorat- 
ed with  many  flags,  this  being,  I  am  told,  the  tenth  anni- 
versary of  the  surrender  at  Sedan.  I  have  seen  dogs  har- 
nessed in  carts,  but  no  where  so  extensively  as  in  Cologne. 
Most  of  the  dogs  are  harnessed  under  the  cart,  as  assistants, 
the  owners  accepting  the  position  between  the  shafts.  The 
dogs  are  very  large,  and  pull  with  all  their  might.  They  are 
said  to  be  very  vicious,  and  are  kept  muzzled  when  on  duty. 
The  ancient  style  of  the  buildings,  and  the  strange  customs 
one  sees,  make  walking  through  an  old  city  like  this  very  in- 
teresting. 

Leaving  Cologne  for  Brussels,  the  railroad  passes  at  first 
through  a  level  country,  the  absence  of  fences  giving  it  the 
appearance  of  a  western  prairie.  It  is  thickly  settled,  and 
well  cultivated.  The  first  city  of  importance  is  Aix-la-Cha- 
pelle,  called  by  the  Germans,  Aachen.  It  has  a  population 
of  80,000,  and  is  known  as  the  city  of  Charlemagne,  who 
was  born,  and  who  died  here.  Over  thirty  German  emper- 


BRUSSELS.  211 

ors  were  crowned  in  this  city,  and  several  important  trea- 
ties have  been  negotiated  here.  Passing  the  German  line, 
we  enter  Belgium  near  the  small  town  of  Herbesthal,  and 
soon  reach  the  city  of  Verviers,  a  place  of  40,000  inhabit- 
ants. Here  I  expected  to  pass  a  customs  examination,  but 
was  disappointed.  I  have  now  passed,  satchel  in  hand,  into 
Switzerland,  Germany,  and  Belgium,  without  a  question  in 
regard  to  my  baggage.  It  is  only  in  England  and  the  Uni- 
ted States  that  I  am  suspected  of  being  a  smuggler.  At 
Verviers  we  change  cars,  and  find  the  Belgian  much  inferior 
to  the  German  cars  of  the  same  class.  Leaving  Verviers, 
the  country  becomes  more  rolling,  and  we  enter  a  mining  re- 
gion, frequently  passing  the  tall  chimneys  of  manufacturing 
establishments.  We  reach  Liege,  a  city  of  100,000  inhabi- 
tants, largely  engaged  in  iron  manufacture,  and  smoky 
enough  to  rival  Pittsburg.  The  next  large  town  we  pass  is 
the  old  walled  city  of  Louvain — population  30,000 — former- 
ly famous  for  its  great  university,  consisting  of  over  forty 
colleges,  with  nearly  7,000  students.  There  are  now  less 
than  600  students,  and  the  city  is  at  present  principally  fa- 
mous for  its  beer,  of  which  more  than  200,000  casks  are  ex- 
ported annually.  The  Belgian  farm-houses  look  uncared 
for  and  untidy  ;  Belgian  women  and  children — ditto. 

The  city  of  Brussels,  the  capital  of  Belgium,  is  on  the  riv- 
er Senne,  fifty  miles  from  the  sea,  and  contains  a  population 
of  about  300,000.  The  newer  part  of  the  city  has  some 
wide  and  fine  streets.  The  ancient  fortifications  have  been 
removed,  and  in  their  stead  are  beautiful  boulevards  and 
promenades,  planted  with  linden  trees.  The  public  build- 
ings are  very  fine.  Among  the  finest  are  the  Palace  of  Jus- 
tice, Mint,  Museum,  and  Parliament  Houses.  The  new 
Bourse  is  a  beautiful  building.  Gigantic  columns,  repre- 
senting a  rose-colored  marble,  support  its  fine  dome,  and 
smaller  columns,  of  exquisite  workmanship,  support  the 


212  HOTEL    DE    VILLE. 

outer  walls.  The  pavement  is  mosaic,  and  the  interior  deco- 
rations are  exceedingly  fine.  Desiring  to  see  how  such 
things  are  done  in  Belgium,  I  deliberately  walked  in  and 
took  my  place  among  the  financiers  of  Brussels.  I  expect 
my  impudence  protected  me,  as  no  one  objected  to  my 
presence.  I  found  the  same  wild  excitement  that  I  have 
witnessed  at  the  Board  of  Trade  in  Chicago,  and  the  Stock 
Exchange  in  New  York.  The  public  park,  or  Palace  Gar- 
den, is  very  finely  laid  out,  and  has  some  beautiful  fountains 
and  statues.  It  is  surrounded  by  four  streets  ;  at  one  end 
is  the  Palace  of  the  Nation,  or  Parliament  House,  and  at  the 
other  the  Royal  Palace.  The  latter  is  a  plain  building,  but 
very  large.  A  sudden  shower  caused  me,  in  common  with 
many  others,  to  seek  shelter  under  its  balcony,  which 
extends  over  the  sidewalk.  A  soldier  in  a  sentry-box  near 
by,  seemed  to  regard  it  with  indifference.  I  doubt  if  it 
would  have  been  permitted  in  any  other  European  capital. 

But  the  most  interesting  building  in  Brussels,  is  the  Hotel 
de  Ville,  situated  in  the  older  part  of  the  city.  It  fronts  on 
the  Grande  Place,  and  is  seen  to  good  advantage.  The  fa- 
cade, completed  in  1450,  is  a  beautiful  specimen  of  Gothic 
ornamentation.  The  tower  is  of  Gothic  openwork,  is  of 
stone,  and  370  feet  high.  At  the  top  of  the  spire  is  a  gilt 
figure  of  the  archangel  Michael,  sixteen  feet  in  height, 
which  serves  as  a  vane.  In  the  upper  story  is  a  large  hall, 
finely  decorated,  with  a  carved  Oak  ceiling.  I  had  read 
more  than  once  that  it  was  in  this  hall  that  the  Duchess  of 
Richmond's  ball  was  given,  on  the  eve  of  the  battle  of 
Waterloo,  and  from  which  the  allied  officers  were  summoned 
to  the  field.  My  favorite  "speaking  piece,"  at  school,  was 
Byron's  poem  on  this  subject,  and  I  commenced  to  repeat 
it  from  memory  to  a  gentleman  who  was  with  me  : 

"  There  was  a  sound  of  revelry  by  night, 
And  Belgium's  capital  had  gathered  there 


STATUES.  213 

Her  beauty  and  her  chivalry,  and  bright 

The  lamps  shone  o'er  fair  women  and  brave  men; 

A  thousand  hearts  beat  happily;  and  when 

Music  arose  with  its  voluptuous  swell, 

Soft  eyes  look'd  love  to  eyes  that  spake  again, 

And  all  went  merry  as  a  marriage-bell: 

But  hush!  hark!  a  deep  sound  strikes  like  a  rising  knell! 

Did  you  not  hear  it?— No;  'twas  but  the  wind, 

Or  the  car  rattling  o'er  the  stony  street; 

On  with  the  dance!  let  joy  be  unconfined; 

No  sleep  till  morn,  when  youth  and  pleasure  meet 

To  chase  the  glowing  hours  with  flying  feet — " 

A  voice,  unmistakably  Yankee,  interrupted  me  at  this  point  : 
"  This  haint  the  place  ;  the  ball  was  held  in  a  house  in  the 
Rue  Royale."  I  regarded  this  as  a  sufficient  introduction, 
and  entered  at  once  into  conversation  with  the  skeptic  who 
had  so  rudely  broken  the  scene  my  fancy  had  painted,  and 
became  convinced  that  he  was  right  ;  and  that,  in  order  to 
see  the  place  in  which  the  ball  was  held,  I  must  visit  the  Rue 
Royale — which  I  did. 

There  are  many  fine  statues  of  distinguished  Belgians  in 
the  public  squares  and  streets,  in  which,  as  an  American,  I 
felt  but  little  interest.  The  Martyrs'  Monument,  in  the 
Place  des  Martyres,  is  quite  elaborate,  and  is  in  honor  of 
the  Belgians  who  fell  in  the  battles  with  the  Dutch,  Septem- 
ber 23-4,  1830.  It  contains  the  names  of  448  men,  who 
fell  at  that  time.  In  front  of  the  church  of  St.  Jacques,  is 
a  fine  equestrian  statue  of  Godfrey  of  Bouillon,  who  is  said 
in  1097  to  have  addressed  the  people  of  Brussels  on  this 
spot,  exhorting  them  to  join  him  in  the  crusade.  The  most 
famous  statue  is  near  the  Hotel  de  Ville,  and  is  known  as 
the  Manikin.  It  forms  part  of  the  Manikin  Fountain,  is 
about  three  feet  high,  and  so  perfectly  natural  as  to  excite 
the  attention  of  passers-by.  Indeed,  the  great  charm  of  the 
fountain,  is  its  naturalness.  The  Manikin  is  held  in  great 
veneration  by  all  classes,  is  provided  at  the  public  expense 
with  a  valet,  and  has  eight  complete  suits  of  clothing,  some 


214  AMERICAN    GOODS. 

of  them  royal  gifts,  in  which  it  is  attired  on  fete  days  and 
special  occasions. 

Most  of  the  streets  in  the  newer  part  of  the  city  are  quite 
wide,  and  the  display  of  wares  in  the  windows  is  very  fine. 
The  finest  arcade  I  have  seen,  is  the  Galerie  St.  Hubert.  It 
is  eighty  feet  wide,  fifty  feet  high,  and  over  forty  rods  long, 
is  brilliantly  lighted,  and  contains  some  of  the  finest  retail 
stores  in  Brussels.  The  prices  of  the  articles  exhibited  in 
the  windows  are  usually  affixed  in  francs  and  centimes,  and 
all  kinds  of  goods  seem  to  be  very  cheap.  I  passed  several 
stores  claiming  to  sell  "American  goods,"  of  which  small 
clocks,  and  occasionally  the  cheaper  grades  of  American 
watches,  were  the  principal  items.  I  was  much  amused 
at  seeing  a  lot  of  brass  "  knuckles,"  sometimes  carried  by 
our  roughs  and  plug-uglies,  exhibited  for  sale — a  large  card 
informing  me  that  they  are  "defenses  Americaines  !" 

In  front  of  the  cafes  are  chairs  and  small  tables  where 
wine  and  beer  are  drank  as  in  Paris.  Getting  hungry,  I 
entered  a  fine  looking  establishment  in  the  old  town 
which  resembled  very  much  a  first  class  fancy  bakerv. 
An  intelligent  looking  middle-aged  lady,  and  two  young 
ladies  who  appeared  to  be  her  daughters,  sat  behind  the 
counters.  I  addressed  them  in  English,  but  to  no  pur- 
pose. They  replied  in  language  neither  French  nor  Ger- 
man, and  which  I  have  since  learned  was  Flemish,  which 
it  appears  is  largely  spoken  in  the  old  town.  I  was  bound 
to  have  a  supper,  and  looking  in  one  of  the  show  cases 
saw  a  small  package  marked  "chocolat."  I  pointed  to  it 
and  to  some  cups  and  saucers  on  one  of  the  counters. 
The  ladies  took  the  hint  and  I  sat  down  while  they  pre- 
pared for  me  a  pitcher  of  delicious  chocolate^  which  was 
set  on  a  small  table  with  a  cup  and  saucer.  I  took  a 
plate,  went  behind  the  counters  and  helped  myself  to  such 
buns,  cakes,  tarts,  etc.,  as  I  thought  sufficient  for  a  hearty 


FIELD    OF    WATERLOO.  215 

meal,  the  ladies  enjoying  immensely  my  efforts  at  selection, 
and  occasionally  signifying  by  signs  that  something  that  I 
had  omitted  was  especially  good.  I  had  an  excellent  sup- 
per, the  ladies  chatting  and  laughing  with  each  other  at  the 
oddness  of  the  occasion,  and  I  expect  admiring  my  wonder- 
ful appetite.  The  meal  ended,  I  took  from  my  pocket  a 
handful  of  silver  change  and  held  it  out,  from  which  one  of 
the  ladies  carefully  selected  a  franc  and  a  half,  about 
twenty-nine  cents,  and  I  laughingly  bowed  myself  out.  It 
may  be  inconvenient  sometimes  not  to  understand  the  lan- 
guage, and  yet  it  is  sometimes  very  amusing,  and  so  far  on 
the  continent  nobody  seems  disposed  to  cheat  me.  I  am 
told  that  in  Spain  or  Italy  it  would  not  be  advisable  to  hold 
out  a  handful  of  silver,  and  I  certainly  could  not  honestly 
recommend  a  foreigner  to  make  the  experiment  in  the 
United  States. 

Being  limited  as  to  time,  I  was  compelled  to  choose  be- 
tween visiting  the  museums  and  picture  galleries  of  Brussels, 
or  the  field  of  Waterloo.  Having  seen  so  many  miles  of 
paintings  and  acres  of  museums  in  the  past  few  weeks,  I  de- 
cided to  take  in  the  battlefield,  and  leaving  Brussels  by  an 
early  train  I  soon  arrived  at  Braine  Laleud,  about  twelv-e 
miles  distant,  and  near  to  the  field  of  Waterloo.  I  had  pro- 
cured in  Brussels  the  official  accounts  of  the  battle,  and  a 
large  map  showing  the  position  and  movements  of  the 
troops  at  various  stages  of  the  engagement.  At  Braine  La- 
leud I  succeeded  in  securing  a  guide  who  had  been  recom- 
mended to  me  as  intelligent  and  well  informed.  He  proved 
to  be  a  Belgian,  speaking  good  English,  whose  business  it  has 
been,  for  nearly  forty  years,  to  show  visitors  over  the  field — 
and  as  good  as  recommended.  His  sympathies  were  with 
Napoleon  and  he  endeavored  in  every  way  possible  to  ex- 
cuse the  result  of  the  battle. 

About  the  center  of  the  allied  line,  and  on  the  spot  where 


2l6  THE    ALLIED    POSITION. 

the  Prince  of  Orange  fell,  the  Belgians  have  erected  an  im- 
mense mound,  I  should  say  two  hundred  feet  high.  On  the 
top  is  a  huge  lion  weighing  twenty-eight  tons,  made  from 
captured  French  cannon.  It  is  known  as  the  "  Lion 
Mound,"  and  from  its  sides  and  summit  may  be  obtained  a 
good  view  of  the  battlefield  and  of  the  surrounding  country. 
The  first  -thing  that  impressed  me  was  the  small  space  oc- 
cupied by  the  contending  armies — the  allied  line  a  little 
more  than  a  mile  long,  the  French  about  a  mile  and  a 
half,  and  the  lines  about  a  mile  apart.  In  this  limited 
space  on  the  i8th  day  of  June,  1815,  150,000  men  engaged 
in  deadly  conflict.  It  is  said  that  military  history  fails  to 
record  an  engagement  of  such  magnitude  in  so  small  a 
space.  Napoleon  had  240  cannon,  Wellington  156,  and  the 
artillery  was  posted  less  than  a  mile  apart  when  the  battle 
began.  Afterwards  the  principal  batteries  were  advanced 
to  less  than  half  a  mile,  and  in  the  afternoon  the  German 
legion  was  cut  down  by  cannon  not  twenty  rods  distant. 
Headley  says  that  on  this  small  field  "  10,000  men  an  hour 
were  slain  for  four  hours!"  It  is  probable  that  the  killed 
and  wounded  numbered  about  40,000,  but  the  engagement 
lasted  over  seven  hours. 

The  allied  position  was  chosen  as  covering  the  road  to 
Brussels,  and  is  on  a  rising  ground  or  ridge.  The  French 
line  was  on  an  opposite  ridge,  nearly  parallel,  and  apparently 
as  strong  a  position,  if  assailed,  as  the  allied.  Smaller  ridges 
and  hollows  between  would  afford  shelter  for  small  bodies  of 
troops.  The  position  and  movements  of  the  armies  can  be 
easily  understood.  The  farm  houses  of  Hougomont,  Mont 
St.  Jean,  La  Haye  Saint,  Papillote  and  La  Belle  Alliance 
still  remain,  and  taken  in  connection  with  the  configuration 
of  the  ground  clearly  indicate  the  position  of  the  contend- 
ing forces.  The  allied  force  engaged  was  British  25,389, 
German  Legion  6,793,  Hanoverian  10,995,  Brunswickers 


HOUGOMONT.  217 

6,303,  Nassauers    2,926,   Netherlands    17,488;  total    69,894. 

The  French  are  estimated  at  80,000.  Of  the  Allied  forces 
the  Hanoverians  were  mere  militia  and  the  Belgian  portion 
of  the  Netherlander  unreliable,  breaking  and  making  for 
the  rear  at  the  first  attack.  The  French  were  mostly 
veterans,  accustomed  to  victory  on  many  battlefields.  Water- 
loo is  a  small  village  nearly  two  miles  in  the  rear  of  the 
allied  position,  from  which  the  Duke  of  Wellington  dated 
his  dispatches  announcing  the  victory.  By  the  Prussians  it 
is  known  as  the  battle  of  Belle  Alliance,  and  by  the  French 
as  the  battle  of  Mont  St.  Jean. 

In  the  movements  of  the  days  preceding  the  battle,  Napo- 
leon would  seem  to  have  outgeneraled  the  allied  com- 
manders, striking  before  their  troops  were  concentrated  and 
forcing  Blucher  and  Wellington  to  give  battle  separately. 
After  the  battle  began  I  cannot  see  what  strategy  had  to  do 
with  it.  It  was  a  murderous  hand  to  hand  fight  such  as  the 
world  will  never  see  again.  Probably  no  battle  has  provoked 
more  discussion  and  criticism.  Who  defeated  Napoleon — 
Wellington,  Blucher,  or  Grouchy — will  always  remain  a  dis- 
puted question.  After  reading  more  than  a  dozen  accounts 
of  the  battle,  and  now  surveying  the  ground,  I  am  more  than 
ever  disposed  to  give  the  credit  of  the  victory  to  those 
troops  mainly  composed  of  English,  Irish  and  Scotch  regi- 
ments, who  for  seven  hours  bravely  maintained  their  ground 
against  the  best  soldiers  of  France,  commanded  by  her 
greatest  general.  The  men  who  composed  those  hollow 
squares  that  successfully  resisted  the  impetuous  charges  of 
the  mail-clad  Cuirassiers,  and  who  at  7  o'clock  in  the  even- 
ing drove  the  hitherto  invincible  Old  Guard,  headed  by 
Ney,  off  the  field,  I  think  deserve  the  honors. 

I  visited  the  chateau  of  Hougomont,  consisting  of  a  farm 
house,  outbuildings  and  orchard  surrounded  by  a  brick  wall. 
This  was  the  point  first  attacked  by  the  French  and  its 


2l8  BRUSSELS    TO    ANTWERP. 

capture  would  have  given  them  the  victory.  The  contest 
here  was  terrible.  It  is  said  1,500  French  fell  in  the 
orchard  alone  in  less  than  half  an  hour!  Several  times  they 
forced  their  way  into  the  yard  and  were  as  often  driven  out 
with  the  bayonet.  The  house,  and  brick  wall  surrounding, 
show  the  marks  of  the  French  bullets  so  plentifully  show- 
ered upon  them.  I  have  gratified  what  some  may  consider 
a  morbid  curiosity,  by  traveling  on  foot  over  the  field,  exam- 
ining in  detail  the  various  localities  which  recall  the  scenes 
of  that  terrible  day.  The  result  is  a  more  intense  hatred  of 
the  cruel  trade  of  war.  When  we  consider  how  in  time  of 
peace  a  single  murder  will  stir  a  community  or  a  nation, 
while  the  killing  in  war  of  the  tens  of  thousands  who  fell 
on  this  field  is  considered  a  matter  of  course,  a  sort  of 
national  business  affair,  one  begins  to  realize  how  debauch- 
ing of  the  sensibilities  is  war.  While  some  of  the  best 
minds  are  devoting  themselves  to  the  work  of  devising  and 
introducing  milder  methods  of  punishment  and  better  care 
for  convicted  criminals,  the  inventive  genius  of  the  world  is 
still  employed  in  devising  more  effective  methods  fdr  human 
destruction  to  place  under  the  control  of  Christian  men 
with  which  to  destroy  each  other.  I  am  no.t  much  given  to 
moralizing,  yet  I  turned  my  back  on  the  historic  field  and 
returned  to  Brussels  with  a  fervent  prayer  for  the  advent  of 
the  reign  of  the  Prince  of  Peace,  when  "Nation  shall  not  lift 
up  sword  against  nation,  neither  shall  they  learn  war  any 
more." 

From  Brussels  to  Antwerp  is  twenty-six  and  a  half  miles. 
About  half  way  we  pass  Malines  or  Mechlin  a  place  of  36,- 
ooo  inhabitants  and  noted  for  its  fine  laces.  Antwerp,  on 
the  right  bank  of  the  Scheldt,  contains  a  population  of  125.- 
ooo,  is  strongly  fortified,  and  is  the  chief  port  of  Belgium. 
Its  citadel  is  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river.  It  was,  in 
the  fifteenth  and  sixteenth  centuries,  the  great  center  of 


ANTWERP    CATHEDRAL.  219 

European  commerce  and  had  a  population  of  over  200,000. 
It  is  said  that  500  vessels  entered  its  port  daily.  Even  now 
it  is  the  third  commercial  city  of  Europe,  ranking  next  to 
London  and  Liverpool.  Its  docks  are  of  great  extent  and 
present  a  very  busy  appearance.  The  first  Napoleon  spent 
vast  sums  of  money  in  their  construction,  making  Antwerp 
his  grand  naval  arsenal.  The  last  seige  of  Antwerp  was  by 
the  French  and  Belgians,  who  in  1832  captured  it  from  the 
Dutch.  Since  that  time  the  fortifications  have  been  greatly 
strengthened,  and  it  is  now  the  true  military  capital  of 
Belgium. 

The  streets  in  the  older  portion  of  the  city  are  very  ir- 
regular, and  the  better  class  of  houses  have  a  stately  and 
antique  appearance.  The  public  buildings  are  very  fine, 
especially  the  Exchange  and  the  marble  Hotel  de  Ville. 
The  people  of  Antwerp  look  different  from  any  I  have  seen. 
They  are  as  a  rule  of  low  stature  and  awfully  homely.  A 
peculiar  "  Dutchy  "  look,  with  flat  heads  and  large  round 
eyes,  seems  to  prevail  among  both  men  and  women.  The 
cathedral  of  Antwerp  is  a  magnificent  building.  It  is  250 
by  400  feet  and  its  Gothic  tower,  containing  a  carillon  of 
ninety  bells,  is  over  400  feet  high.  A  more  beautiful  tower 
I  have  never  seen.  Charles  V.  said  of  it  that  it  should  be 
kept  in  a  glass  case,  and  so  fine  is  its  ornamentation  that 
Napoleon  I.  compared  it  to  Mechlin  lace.  Dr.  Bellows 
poetically  describes  it  as  "  the  lovely  laced  work  spire,  that 
airiest  of  all  structures  ever  hung  in  stone  and  iron  so  near 
the  stars."  But  the  cathedral  is  chiefly  celebrated  for  the 
treasures  of  art  which  it  contains.  Here  are  Rubens'  As- 
sumption of  the  Virgin,  Elevation  of  the  Cross,  Descent 
from  the  Cross  and  The  Resurrection.  The  Descent  from 
the  Cross  is  Rubens'  masterpiece  and  one  of  the  world's 
most  famous  pictures,  admired  by  art  pilgrims  from  all  lands. 
After  reading  page  upon  page  describing  in  detail  its  beau- 
13 


220  RUBENS     PICTURES. 

ties  and  fine  points,  I  feel  incompetent  to  attempt  a  descrip- 
tion of  my  own  and  shall  not  inflict  a  borrowed  one  on  my 
readers.  Indeed,  the  impression  was  not  that  of  a  picture  or 
a  work  of  art  to  be  admired.  I  forgot  the  painter.  No  art 
terms,  no  hackneyed  phrase  of  descriptive  laudation  oc- 
curred to  me.  I  was  looking  at  the  descent  from  the  cross. 
In  the  three  Marys,  Joseph,  Nicodemus  and  the  others,  I 
saw  real  people,  and  the  fair  but  bloody  corpse  of  the  Man 
of  Sorrows,  excited  my  sympathy  as  never  before  by  any 
painted  canvas.  There  is  also  a  fine  head  of  Christ  by 
Leonardo  da  Vinci,  and  many  other  pictures  of  merit,  be- 
sides a  profusion  of  the  finest  wood  carvings.  Rubens'  pic- 
tures are  covered  during  the  forenoon,  when  the  cathedral 
is  open  for  service,  and  are  only  uncovered  from  twelve  to 
four  o'clock,  when  an  admission  fee  is  charged,  which  is 
said  to  afford  a  large  revenue  to  the  church. 

Near  the  cathedral  tower  is  a  well  with  a  beautiful  iron 
canopy,  made  by  Quentin  Matsys,  the  "  blacksmith  of  Ant- 
werp." He  fell  in  love  with  the  daughter  of  a  painter,  who 
refused  to  bestow  her  hand  on  any  one  but  an  artist.  Matsys 
laid  aside  the  apron  and  hammer,  took  to  the  brush  and 
easel,  became  a  famous  painter,  and — "  married  the  girl." 

The  steamers  plying  between  Antwerp  and  Harwich  are 
far  superior  to  those  on  the  New  Haven  and  Dieppe  Line. 
They  are  larger,  much  cleaner,  and  well  provided  with 
berths.  We  passed  half  way  down  the  Scheldt  by  daylight. 
The  scenery  is  unique.  On  either  side  may  be  seen  the 
roofs  of  high  houses  and  the  tops  of  tall  trees,  relieved  oc- 
casionally by  a  church  steeple  or  windmill  of  huge  dimen- 
sions. The  peculiarity  of  the  scenery  is  owing  to  the  fact 
that  the  banks  of  the  river  are  dikes  erected  to  prevent  in- 
undation and  much  higher  than  the  country  on  either  side. 
It  is  not  just  the  kind  of  prospect  one  would  sit  up  late  to 
see,  so  I  retired  and  had  a  good  night's  rest,  the  North  Sea 


LANDING    AT     HARWICH.  221 

being  smooth  as  a  Swiss  lake.  On  landing  at  Harwich  the 
passengers  were  notified  that  we  had  reached  a  higher  civil- 
ization by  handbills  placed  in  the  hands  of  each,  warning 
them  of  the  penalties  for  smuggling.  The  customs  officers 
left  but  little  chance  for  escape,  the  search  being  quite 
thorough.  A  pleasant  ride  of  sixty  or  seventy  miles  through 
the  lovely  rural  scenery  of  the  county  of  Essex  brought  me 
again  to  London. 


222 


CHAPTER  XII. 

LONDON. 

An  English  Sabbath— Spurgeons1  Tabernacle— The  Great  Preacher— Tower 
Hill— Royal  Exchange— Bank  of  England— Mansion  House— Guildhall- 
Bow  Church— Smithtield— Hyde  Park— Parks  and  Gardens— St.  James' 
Palace— Buckingham  Palace— Apsley  House— Underground  Railroad- 
Cabs— Omnibuses— St.  Giles'—Houndsditch. 

Reaching  London  early  on  Sunday  morning,  I  had  an 
opportunity  of  comparing  the  English  Sabbath  with  the 
Continental,  and  the  contrast  is  striking.  Every  place  of 
business  is  closed,  and  the  streets  deserted  ;  even  the  omni- 
buses have  a  part  holiday  on  Sunday  morning,  and  have  not 
yet  resumed  their  trips.  The  persons  I  met  were  Roman 
Catholics  returning  from  early  mass,  prayer  book  in  hand. 
Nor  is  there  any  change  till  at  half  past  ten,  when  the  ringing 
and  chiming  of  the  church  bells  for  general  service  seems  to 
wake  up  London,  and  for  half  an  hour  the  streets  are  full  of 
church  goers.  On  reaching  my  hotel,  longed  for  letters 
from  home,  which  had  accumulated  here,  during  my  ab- 
sence on  the  continent,  are  received  and  devoured  with  an 
interest  that  only  those  with  a  similar  experience  can  under- 
stand. All  Americans  I  have  become  acquainted  with  in 
Europe  seem  to  be  troubled  with  forebodings  of  ill  news 
from  home.  The  distance  gives  a  sense  of  isolation  and 
helplessness.  Even  should  the  telegraph  flash  in  an  instant 
news  of  the  sickness  of  a  loved  one,  and  the  dispatch  be  re- 
ceived on  the  instant  of  its  arrival,  there  is  the  ten  or  twelve 
days  that  must,  under  the  most  favorable  circumstances, 
elapse  before  the  bedside  of  the  sufferer  could  be  reached — 
and  what  may  not  happen  in  those  ten  days  ! 


LONDON    CHURCHES.  223 

I  had  wondered  how  London  would  seem  to  me  after  my 
Continental  experience,  and  again  seated  myself  under  the 
dome  of  St.  Paul's  with  some  misgivings  as  to  the  result. 
The  building  seems  dirtier  and  dingier  than  before,  but 
even  when  compared  with  the  cathedrals  of  Paris,  Strasburg, 
Cologne,  Brussels  and  Antwerp,  has  lost  none  of  its  peculiar 
and  substantial  grandeur.  The  other  London  churches  look 
insignificant,  and  it  requires  all  its  sacred  historical  associa- 
tions to  give  to  Westminster  Abbey  that  consideration  which 
some  of  the  Continental  churches  receive  on  merely  archi- 
tectural grounds.  But  the  Houses  of  Parliament,  so  often 
disparagingly  spoken  of,  do  not  suffer  when  compared 
with  any  public  building  I  have  seen  elsewhere.  It  may  be 
through  the  perversity  of  my  nature  in  wanting  to  disagree 
with  other  people,  or  from  lack  of  capacity  to  judge,  but  I 
am  disposed  to  accord  much  more  honor  to  the  architect  of 
the  Parliament  Houses  than  most  people.  Newspaper  criti- 
cism has,  I  think,  done  him  great  injustice. 

During  the  day  I  managed  to  see  the  interiors  of  a  num- 
ber of  the  churches  and  looked  in  for  a  few  minutes  on 
several  of  the  Sunday  schools.  The  scholars  seemed  to 
belong  mostly  to  the  poorer  class,  and  I  remembered  that 
when  Sunday  schools  were  established  in  England  it  was  for 
the  instruction  of  those  too  poor  to  attend  school  week  days. 
Desiring  to  know  if  the  Christian  parents  of  England  turn 
over  the  responsibility  of  the  religious  training  of  their 
children  to  Sunday  school  specialists  with  their  cunning  de- 
vices, as  in  America,  I  made  some  inquiries  of  an  English 
lady  at  the  dinner  table,  who  assured  me  that  they  were 
still  maintained  in  great  part  for  the  poor.  In  the  sim- 
plicity of  her  heart  she  told  me  that  in  some  parts  of  the 
city  children  of  ten  or  twelve  years  old  were  frequently  ad- 
mitted who  could  not  answer  the  question,  "  Who  made 
you  ?"  For  the  benefit  of  a  gentleman  who  had  just  been 


224         SPURGEON'S  TABERNACLE. 

airing  his  infidel  sentiments  rather  offensively,  I  assured 
her  that  such  children  had  reached  the  very  highest  point 
attained  by  scientists  and  were  abreast  of  the  best  scholar- 
ship of  the  day,  and  fitted  for  teachers  rather  than  scholars. 
The  dear  woman  looked  puzzled  and  annoyed,  but  probably 
regarded  it  as  one  of  my  American  eccentricities. 

Desiring  to  attend  service  at  Spurgeon's  Tabernacle, 
seated  on  the  top  of  an  omnibus,  I  crossed  Blackfriars 
Bridge  to  the  south  side  of  the  Thames,  and  reaching  an  old 
hotel,  the  "  Elephant  and  Castle,"  at  a  place  called  Newing- 
ton  Butts,  found  myself  within  a  block  of  the  tabernacle.  A 
Methodist  preacher  accompanied  me,  and  although  more 
than  half  an  hour  early  we  found  a  large  number  of  people 
waiting  for  the  opening  of  the  outer  gates.  By  putting  a 
contribution  to  the  church  in  envelopes  furnished  us  by  an 
official,  we  received  tickets  which  admitted  us  at  once  to  the 
building  by  a  side  door.  An  old  gentleman,  occupying  a 
pew  near  the  platform,  kindly  invited  us  to  sit  with  him.  As 
we  sat  down  I  remarked  to  my  companion,  "  This  church  is 
more  than  twice  as  large  as  Mr.  Beecher's."  "  Are  you 
Americans?  "  quickly  inquired  the  old  gentleman.  On  being 
informed  that  we  were  from  the  United  States,  he  invited  us 
to  visit  with  him  the  several  parts  of  the  building  in  the 
half  hour  that  remained  before  service.  He  conducted  us 
through  the  galleries  to  the  platform,  and  to  the  library  and 
parlors.  In  the  basement  we  passed  through  the  Sabbath 
school  room,  and  prayer  rooms,  in  one  of  which  a  young 
peoples'  meeting  was  in  progress,  and  gospel  hymns  sung  with 
great  fervor.  He  took  us  into  a  large  room,  where  we  found 
more  than  fifty  persons  at  tea.  These  he  told  us  were 
people  living  at  a  distance,  some  of  them  poor,  who  found  it 
convenient  to  remain  at  the  church  for  evening  service  ;  and 
for  all  such  a  plain  tea  is  furnished  every  Sunday  evening. 

We    passed  through  the  various  other  rooms,  getting   an 


MR.    SPURGEON.  225 

interesting  account  of  the  church  and  its  remarkable  growth, 
and  answers  to  our  many  questions  as  to  its  methods  and  its 
widely  celebrated  pastor.  Returning  to  the  audience  room 
we  found  it  fast  filling  up.  There  are  two  tiers  of  galleries 
which  run  entirely  around  the  building,  the  platform  being 
in  front  of  the  lowest  gallery  and  about  on  a  level  with  it. 
The  seats  and  all  available  standing  room  were  occupied 
before  the  hour  for  service,  and  the  doors  closed  leaving 
many  outside,  and  yet  the  building  when  thus  crowded  holds 
over  7,000  persons.  Exactly  at  the  hour,  Mr.  Spurgeon 
stepped  quickly  on  the  platform,  and  at  once  commenced 
the  service  by  reading  a  hymn.  He  is  a  short,  thick  set 
man,  with  short  neck,  round  face,  and,  I  am  sorry  to  say, 
his  hair  parted  very  near  the  middle.  He  is  not  the  man 
you  would  select  for. a  pulpit  orator,  or  indeed  as  remarkable 
in  any  respect  ;  in  fact,  to  be  honest  about  it,  he  is  a  very 
ordinary  looking  person.  His  voice  is  remarkably  fine — 
full,  flexible  and  pleasant,  it  is  equally  well  adapted  to  de- 
nunciation or  entreaty.  He  reads  excellently,  especially  the 
hymns  ;  his  style  is  quite  dramatic,  almost  what  in  America 
we  sometimes  call,  by  way  of  disparagement,  "  theatrical," 
and  yet  with  him  it  seems  perfectly  natural  and  does  not 
suggest  in  the  slightest  degree  an  attempt  at  oratorical  dis- 
play or  a  studied  effort  of  any  kind.  (By  the  way,  I  have 
often  wondered  why  ministers  don't  learn  to  read.  The  first 
question  to  an  applicant  for  orders  should  be,  "  Can  you 
read?  "  If,  on  trial,  he  reads  a  hymn  of  Watts'  or  Wesley's 
as  ministers  usually  do,  he  should  be  kindly  but  firmly 
shown  the  door  and  advised  to  learn  to  read  before  calling 
again.)  After  reading  the  hymn  clear  through  he  "  lines  " 
it  out,  a  verse  at  a  time,  and  in  such  a  way  as  to  prepare  the 
audience  to  sing  the  words  understandingly.  During  the  ser- 
vice four  long  hymns  were  sung  by  the  vast  assembly,  without 
an  instrument  of  any  kind  either  to  lead  or  accompany. 


226  THE  SERMON. 

I  had  heard  and  admired  the  grand  choir  at  Westminster 
Abbey,  and  the  exquisite  music  at  St.  Paul,  both  fine  in 
their  way,  but  either,  as  worship  to  God,  seem  the  merest 
mockery  as  compared  with  the  grand  songs  of  praise  by  "all 
the  people"  at  the  Tabernacle.  An  interesting  feature  of 
the  service  was  the  scripture  reading,  with  a  running  com- 
ment, mostly  explanatory,  and  in  a  conversational  tone.  The 
large  congregation  seems  made  up  mostly  of  the  middle  and 
poorer  classes,  and  Mr.  Spurgeon  preaches  so  as  to  reach 
the  lowest.  His  text  was:  "Though  these  three  men,  Noah, 
Daniel  and  Job,  were  in  it,  they  should  deliver  but  their  own 
souls  by  their  righteousness,  saith  the  Lord  God."  His 
theme  was — "  Individual  responsibility  to  God,"  and  he 
used  wonderful  plainness  of  speech.  Some  expressions 
seemed  almost  uncouth,  as,  for  example  :  "You  won't  be 
fagged  into  Heaven  by  the  ear;"  and  another  :  "You  are 
not  to  be  saved  as  if  you  were  horses  or  cats."  And  yet  he 
knows  his  hearers  and  how  to  reach  them,  and  is  evidently 
not  disposed  to  fall  into  the  error,  so  very  common  among 
ministers,  of  preaching  for  the  few  professional  or  literary 
men  in  their  congregations,  apparently  under  the  impression 
that  such  men  want  to  hear  speculations  and  abstractions 
from  the  pulpit.  Such  men  have  usually  enough  of  that  sort 
of  thing  during  the  week,  and  are  as  likely  to  desire  the 
'"  sincere  milk  of  the  word,"  and  restful,  helpful  Bible  teachi- 
ng, and  quite  as  willing  to  forego  hair-splitting,  as  the  women 
and  children  of  the  audience.  Mr.  Spurgeon  is  not,  in  the 
American  sense  of  the  word,  a  "  sensational "  preacher,  but 
is  a  very  earnest  one  and  has  done  a  great  work.  His  train- 
ing college,  and  the  many  helpful  charities  he  has  originated, 
occupy  a  large  portion  of  his  time.  As  to  his  "  ability  "  as 
a  preacher,  which,  with  many  persons,  is  of  more  importance 
than  his  usefulness,  there  can  be  but  one  opinion.  He  is  in 
the  largest  and  truest,  as  well  as  in  the  narrow  and  tech- 


WALKS    IN    LONDON.  227 

hical  sense,  a  great  preacher,  and  is  so  regarded  in  London. 
Desiring  to  carry  out  a  plan  I  had  arranged  for  visiting 
the  places  of  interest  in  London,  I  went  again  to  the  Tower, 
and  from  thence  walked  to  the  place  of  public  execution  on 
Tower  Hill,  outside  the  walls.  The  site  of  the  ancient  scaf- 
fold is  now  in  the  centre  of  Trinity  Square,  and  used  as  a 
small  public  garden  or  park.  Here  flowed  some  of  the  best 
blood  of  England — Fisher,  More,  Essex,  Howard,  Surrey, 
Seymour,  Somerset,  Dudley,  Strafford,  Sydney,  Monmouth? 
and  scores  of  others.  The  Royal  Mint,  formerly  in  the 
Tower,  is  now  on  Tower  Hill,  and  is  quite  a  large  building. 
Turning  again  towards  St.  Paul's  I  pass  Mark  Lane,  with  its 
Corn  Exchange,  and  Mincing  Lane,  with  its  great  Commer- 
cial Salesroom,  into  Eastcheap,  which  leads  me  again  to  the 
statue  of  William  IVth.,  at  the  head  of  King  William  street. 
By  the  way,  this  statue  occupies  the  site  of  the  ancient 
"Boar's  Head  Tavern  in  Eastcheap,"  made  famous  by  Shake- 
speare as  the  scene  of  Falstaff  and  Prince  Henry's  royster- 
ings,  and  where  Falstaff  drank  such  an  "intolerable  quantity 
of  sack  to  but  a  haporth  of  bread."  King  William  street 
leads  directly  to  the  square,  or  open  space  on  which  fronts 
the  Royal  Exchange,  Bank  of  England,  and  the  Mansion 
House.  No  place  that  I  have  seen  in  any  American  city 
presents  such  a  crowded  appearance.  It  is  regarded  as  the 
commercial  centre  of  the  old  city,  as  well  as  of  the  world. 
Into  the  632  acres  known  as  the  old  city  nearly  a  million 
people  pass  daily  from  their  suburban  homes.  Blackfriars, 
Southwark,  and  London  bridges  afford  passage  from  the 
south  side  of  the  Thames,  the  metropolitan  or  underground 
railroad  pours  out  its  thousands  from  the  Mansion  House 
station,  and  several  lines  of  omnibuses  terminate  at  the  Bank 
of  England.  It  is  estimated  that  London  bridge  alone,  and 
but  forty  feet  wide,  accommodates  20,000  vehicles  and  100,- 
ooo  pedestrians  daily. 


228  THE    BANK    OF    ENGLAND. 

The  Royal  Exchange  is  a  remarkably  fine  building,  facing 
on  the  square,  with  Cornhill  and  Threadneedle  streets  on 
each  side,  the  latter  street  separating  it  from  the  Bank  of 
England.  It  is  an  open  quadrangle,  with  a  large  statue  of 
Queen  Victoria  in  the  central  square.  The  portico  of  the 
west  front  is  said  to  be  the  finest  in  Great  Britain.  The 
eight  columns  supporting  it  are  over  four  feet  in  diameter 
and  more  than  forty  feet  high.  The  cornice  is  massive  and 
the  pediment  ornamented  with  interesting  groups  of  statuary. 
This  building  is  on  the  site  of  'an  older  Exchange,  and  was 
opened  in  1844.  The  cost  of  its  erection  was  four  and  one- 
half  million  dollars.  At  the  east  end,  up  one  flight  of  stairs, 
is  "Lloyd's  subscription  rooms,"  headquarters  of  the  under- 
writers and  of  merchants  and  ship-owners  generally. 

The  Bank  of  England  consists  of  a  series  of  buildings, 
squatty  in  appearance  and  without  any  apparent  architectural 
design,  covering  an  area  of  about  four  acres,  with  streets  on 
each  side.  The  bank  receives  the  government  deposits  from 
taxes  and  customs,  and  disburses  the  interest  on  the  national 
debt — is  in  fact  a  sort  of  treasury  department,  but  managed 
entirely  by  a  corporation.  It  also  does  a  general  banking 
business  and  is  largely  a  depository  for  trust  funds.  Its  vaults 
usually  contain  about  one  hundred  million  dollars  in  specie, 
and  its  notes  circulate  to  the  amount  of  seventy-five  million 
dollars,  the  smallest  note  being  twenty-five  dollars.  It  never 
pays  out  its  notes  but  once;  if  returned  to  the  bank  they  are 
cancelled.  These  returned  notes  are  kept  for  five  years,  and 
so  perfect  is  the  system  of  registration  that  in  a  few  minutes 
any  of  the  seventy-seven  million  notes  received  by  the  bank 
during  the  past  five  years  can  be  produced  and  the  source 
from  which  the  bank  received  it  determined.  When  I  arrived 
in  Scotland  I  received  notes  of  the  bank  of  England  for  my 
bills  of  exchange,  and  found  when  I  went  to  pay  them  out 
that  the  careful  business  men  and  money-changers  wanted 


THE    MANSION    HOUSE.  229 

my  name  on  the  back  of  the  notes;  it  is  always  best,  however, 
to  have  a  good  endorser.  I  stepped  into  the  general  bank- 
ing room  and  watched  the  counting  of  bills  and  weighing  of 
specie  by  an  army  of  clerks;  1,000  are  employed  in  the  vari- 
ous parts  of  the  building.  All  gold  taken  at  the  bank,  if 
light  by  a  fraction  of  a  grain,  is  cut  in  two  and  a  discount  of 
eight  cents  on  each  sovereign  charged  the  depositor,  that 
sum  having  been  found  sufficient  to  cover  the  average  loss 
on  light  coins.  I  passed  through  several  halls  looking  into 
the  offices  and  rooms,  and  no  one  interfered  with  me;  but 
standing  in  the  doorways  and  halls  were  the  porters  of  the 
bank,  in  livery,  and  I  found  but  one  spot  where  I  was  not 
followed  by  watchful  eyes — the  garden!  Yes,  opening  a 
door  I  found  in  the  bank  of  England  a  garden,  with  trees 
and  shrubbery!  I  must  confess  I  was  surprised  to  find  this 
"  bit  of  nature  "  amid  such  surroundings.  It  indicates  that 
even  here  the  spirit  of  Mammon  is  not  supreme,  as  it  must 
cost  a  round  sum  to  devote  ground  in  such  a  place  for  such 
uses. 

The  Mansion  House,  residence  of  the  Lord  Mayor,  is 
nearly  opposite  the  Royal  Exchange  and  was  built  in  1741, 
at  a  cost  of  $350,000.  Of  course  it  is  a  very  large  and  very 
fine  building.  The  city  police  court  is  held  in  one  of  the 
rooms  and  is  in  session  daily,  presided  over  by  the  Lord 
Mayor  or  one  of  the  Aldermen.  I  have  dropped  in  several 
times  when  passing,  and  find  it  very  much  like  police  courts 
in  other  large  cities.  The  Lord  Mayor  puts  on  a  good  deal 
of  style,  officially.  At  the  city  celebrations  he  takes  prece- 
dence of  members  of  the  royal  family.  His  salary  is  $40,- 
ooo,  but  sufficient  to  maintain  the  dignity  of  his  official 
position.  On  his  installation  he  gives  a  dinner  at  Guildhall, 
costing  usually  over  $10,000.  To  make  the  official  salary 
meet  the  demands  on  the  official  purse,  it  would  seem  as  if  a 
little  civil  service  reform  might  be  inaugurated  in  England. 


230  GUILDHALL. 

Leaving  the  Mansion  House  and  still  going  west,  we  pass 
through  the  Poultry,  a  very  short  street,  and  are  in  Cheap- 
side,  a  very  old  business  street  of  retail  stores.  Goods  in 
the  windows  are  well  displayed  and  the  prices  attached  in 
plain  figures,  a  thing  very  common  in  London,  and  a  cus- 
tom that  gives  much  confidence  to  the  purchaser.  We  reach 
King  street  on  our  right  and  passing  up  a  block  are  at  Guild- 
hall, a  large  building  used  for  city  purposes.  It  is  the  "  City 
Hall  "  of  London.  The  style  is  Gothic.  Its  principal  hall 
will  hold  about  7,000  people,  and  at  each  end  is  a  beautiful 
Gothic  window  the  entire  width  of  the  hall.  There  are 
some  fine  portraits  and  statues,  mostly  of  judges  and  mayors. 
It  was  here  Anne  Askew  was  tried  for  heresy  ;  Surrey,  Dud- 
ley and  Lady  Jane  Grey,  for  treason  ;  and  the  Jesuit  Garner 
for  complicity  in  the  gunpowder  plot.  Here,  after  the  ab- 
dication of  James  II.,  the  Lords  of  Parliament  met  and  de- 
clared for  the  Prince  of  Orange.  The  huge  statues  of  Gog 
and  Magog  formerly  carried  in  procession  on  the  "  Mayor's 
Show  Day,"  as  seen  in  old  pictures,  are  in  this  hall.  The 
library  and  reading  room  contain  over  50,000  volumes.  In 
the  basement  is  a  most  interesting  museum  containing 
many  relics  of  the  Roman  period,  found  in  London  and 
vicinity.  There  are  tombs,  monuments,  statues,  stone 
coffins,  parts  of  the  old  wall,  Roman  tesselated  pavement, 
bricks,  pottery,  shoes,  latches,  spoons,  knives,  &c.,  &c.  I 
was  especially  impressed  with  he  resemblance  of  many  of 
these  ancient  things  with  those  of  to-day.  A  quantity  of 
Roman  nails,  probably  1,600  years  old,  hardly  differ  in  any 
respect  from  the  nails  common  now.  The  original  sign  of 
the  "  Boar's  Head  "  in  Eastcheap  is  here.  Several  of  the 
London  Trade  Guilds  exhibit  historical  collections  showing 
the  changes  and  improvements  in  their  particular  line  of 
business.  Among  them  I  found  a  large  show  case  belong- 
ing to  the  "  Most  Worshipful  Company  of  Clockmakers," 


BOW    CHURCH.  231 

and  filled  with  watches  showing  the  progress  of  invention 
from  the  first  rude  attempts,  almost  as  large  as  some  modern 
clocks,  and  through  all  the  various  forms  of  "  bulls-eyes,'* 
to  the  watch  of  to-day.  The  collection  is  very  valuable 
and  complete,  and  I  studied  it  with  the  interest  that  might 
be  expected  of  a  reformed  jeweler. 

Passing  back  to  Cheapside,  I  continue  westward,  and  soon 
reach  Bow  Church,  on  the  south  side  of  the  street,  where 
hang  the  famous  "  Bow  Bells."  To  be  born  within  the 
sound  of  these  bells  is  to  be  a  Cockney.  One  of  the  books 
of  my  earliest  juvenile  library  was  "  The  true  story  of  Whit- 
tington  and  his  Cat;"  and  as  I  reached  Bow  Church,  admir- 
ing its  beautiful  spire,  225  feet  high  and  built  by  Wren,  the 
bells  began  to  ring.  I  tried  to  fancy  that  as  of  old  the  bur- 
den of  their  chiming  was 

"  Turn  again,  Whittington,  Lord  Mayor  of  London." 

But  it  is  more  than  forty  years  since  I  read  the  story  and  I 
failed  to  recall  very  vividly  its  incidents.  There  is  an  Eng- 
lish ecclesiastical  court  of  which  I  have  frequently  read,  and 
its  decisions  are  often  quoted,  called  the  "  Court  of  Arches  " 
and  sometimes  "  Arches  Court."  I  have  often  wondered 
why  it  should  be  so  named,  and  have  to-day  learned  that 
Bow  Church  was  formerly  known  as  St.  Mary's  of  the 
Arches,  to  distinguish  it  from  other  St.  Mary's,  and  from  the 
fact  that  it  was  built  upon  arches.  The  old  ecclesiastical 
court  formerly  held  its  sessions  in  this  church  and  was  called 
the  Court  of  Arches,  and  retains  the  name,  even  officially", 
till  this  day.  Since  my  return  to  London  my  saunterings 
seem  to  be  on  familiar  ground  and  I  have  revisited  many 
of  the  streets  and  lanes  in  the  city  that  recall  historic  names 
and  incident?.  I  believe  if  there  is  any  place  on  earth  where 
a  man  feels  his  littleness  it  is  in  London,  and  how  lonesome 
it  is  !  The  fact  that  one  is  isolated  from  the  busy,  singing 
multitudes  that  crowd  the  streets,  who  care  no  more  for  him 


232  SMITHFIELD. 

than  if  he  did  not  exist,  makes  it  a  social  wilderness.  To 
be  "  alone  with  nature "  means  companionship,  to  be  a 
stranger  in  London,  means  to  be  alone,  and  counting  but  as 
a  grain  of  sand  in  the  desert,  or  a  drop  in  the  ocean.  In 
the  case  of  Americans  this  feeling  of  loneliness  is  aggravated 
by  the  absence  of  the  familiar  profanity  to  which  his  ears 
are  accustomed.  A  few  oaths,  round  or  square  as  you  may 

please  to  term  it,  varied  by  occasional  sons  of ,would  do 

much  to  relieve  the  feeling  that  one  is  a  stranger  in  a  strange 
land.  I  do  not  now  remember  hearing  an  oath  on  British 
soil.  There  is  no  doubt  good  swearing  done  in  England, 
but  in  the  streets  and  places  where  I  have  been  I  have  not 
heard  any.  I  have  witnessed  altercations  between  cabmen, 
omnibus  drivers,  porters  and  others,  hot  enough  to  have 
called  forth  the  whole  alphabet  of  profanity  in  an  American 
city.  In  such  cases  they  adopt  a  system  of  "chaffing,'1'  a 
peculiar  kind  of  wit,  of  great  severity,  which  seems  to 
answer  their  purpose.  If  our  English  friends  would  culti- 
vate public  swearing  and  vulgarity,  it  would  do  much  to- 
ward making  Americans  feel  at  home  among  them. 

A  few  rods  from  my  hotel  in  a  place  interesting  to  leaders 
of  English  history,  Smithfield.  I  pass  it  every  day,  and  as  I 
pass,  the  wood-cut  in  the  old  spelling  book  occurs  to  me, 
showing  "  the  good  and  pious  John  Rogers  "  chained  to  the 
stake  in  the  midst  of  flames,  while  his  wife  and  "nine  small 
children,  with  one  at  the  breast,"  are  looking  on.  Smith- 
field  had  been  associated  in  my  mind  with  a  cattle  market, 
and  I  expected  as  I  approached  the  vast  building  pointed 
out  to  me  as  Smithfield  Market,  to  hear  the  "  lowing  of  the 
kine."  I  find  that  the  Cattle  Market,  though  centuries  old, 
was  abolished  in  1862,  and  where  stood  in  dirt  and  mud  the 
pens  and  sheds,  is  now  an  immense  building  of  red  brick  with 
glass  roof,  and  four  handsome  towers.  It  covers  about 
three  and-a-half  acres.  The  roof  is  about  thirty  feet  high, 


SIR    WILLIAM    WALLACE.  233 

and  supported  by  heavy  iron  columns,  and  lights  up  every 
part  of  the  building.  Under  the  market  are  the  tracks  of 
the  uunderground  and  two  other  railroads,  and  trains  pass 
every  two  or  three  minutes.  The  interior  is  not  subdivided 
into  minute  cages  of  five  or  six  square  yards  like  the  Halles 
Centrales,  at  Paris,  the  whole  interior  being  partitioned  off 
into  but  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  stalls  or  places  of  busi- 
ness. I  had  been  for  several  days  puzzling  myself  as  to  how  it 
was  possible  to  supply  the  millions  of  London  with  food.  After 
passing  through  Smithfield  one  wonders  how  such  immense 
quantities  of  beef  and  mutton  and  poultry  and  game  can  be 
disposed  of.  The  place  of  execution  during  the  reign  of 
Mary,  was  opposite  the  entrance  of  St.  Bartholomew's  Priory. 
The  condemned  were  chained  to  a  stake  wi.th  their  faces  to- 
ward the  gate  where  stood  the  Prior,  the  chief  ecclesiastic 
present  on  such  occasions.  The  ancient  gate  still  remains, 
and  on  the  spot  assigned  by  tradition  as  the  site  of  the  stake* 
charred  human  bones,  and  stones  blackened  by  fire,  were 
dug  up  a  few  years  ago  in  excavating  for  a  sewer. 

The  hero  of  Scotland  and  of  the  favorite  novel  of  my 
boyhood  days — "  The  Scottish  Chiefs,"  was  executed  here. 
After  being  dragged  at  the  tails  of  horses  through  the  streets 
of  London,  Sir  William  Wallace  was  here  b  eheaded,  and  in 
accordance  with  the  cruel  custom  of  the  times,  his  head  was 
placed  on  London  bridge.  His  body  was  here  divided  into 
four  pieces  and  sent  to  Scotland  for  exhibition.  The  sight 
of  his  mutilated  remains  and  the  desire  for  revenge  lost 
Scotland  to  the  English,  and  Bannockburn  atoned  for  the 
tragedy  at  Smithfield. 

About  two  thousand  acres  of  modern  London  are  laid  out 
in  parks  and  pleasure  grouds.  Those  most  visited  are  Hyde 
Park,  St.  James'  Park,  Green  Park,  Kensington  Gardens 
and  Regents'  Park.  Hyde  Park  contains  nearly  400  acres 
and  is  the  great  resort  of  the  higher  classes  for  carriage  and 


234  HYDE    PARK. 

horseback  riding.  No  hired  vehicle,  however  pretentious, 
can  enter  Hyde  Park.  "  The  line  must  be  drawn  some- 
where, you  know,"  and  it  is  drawn  across  the  word  hired  and 
not  between  different  styles  of  carriages.  A  bridle  road 
from  Hyde  Park  Corner  to  Kensington  Gardens  has  re- 
ceived the  singular  name  of  Rotten  Row,  and  is  devoted  to 
horseback  riding.  Splendid  looking  horses,  largely  of  the 
race-horse  pattern,  are  pacing  up  and  down  this  aristocratic 
course.  The  principal  carriage  road  is  called  the  Ladies' 
Mile,  and  my  visit  being  late  in  the  afternoon,  it  was  fully 
occupied  by  the  equipages  of  the  nobility.  Beautiful  car- 
riages with  coroneted  panels  and  liveried  servants,  are  com- 
mon as  farmer's  buggies  at  a  county  fair.  Mounted  police- 
men preserve  order  and  keep  the  carriages  in  line.  The  oc- 
cupants of  the  carriages  are  largely  ladies,  of  fine  appear- 
ance and  richly  dressed.  The  young  English-woman  is 
usually  comely  and  among  the  higher  classes  not  infre- 
quently beautiful.  They  differ  from  most  American  young 
women  in  having  broader  shoulders  and  more  substantial 
feet.  They  also  know  better  how  to  use  their  feet,  not 
walking  daintily  or  trippingly,  but  planting  them  squarely 
like  professional  pedestrians.  The  middle-aged  English- 
woman does  not  fade  or  wither  like  so  many  of  her  Ameri- 
can sisters,  but  grows  redder  and  stouter.  At  this  stage 
there  is  frequently  something  about  their  appearance  that  is 
to  me  unpleasant ;  they  look — yes,  I  say  it  boldly,  they 
look  "  beery."  When  comely  English  women  do  not  assume 
this  appearance,  they  make  the  finest  looking  elderly  ladies 
in  the  world. 

The  gates  of  Hyde  Park  are  imposing  specimens  of  art, 
especially  at  Hyde  Park  Corner,  and  Cumberland  Gate,  at 
the  west  end  of  Oxford  street.  The  latter  is  known  as  the 
Marble  Arch,  and  was  set  up  originally  before  Buckingham 
Palace.  I  will  not  describe  its  form  or  its  sculptures,  but 


ST.    JAMES     PALACE.  235 

its  cost,  $400,000,  will  indicate  that  it  must  be  a  grand 
affair.  The  cost  of  its  removal  to  its  present  site  was  over 
$50,000. 

Kensington  Gardens  contain  over  200  acres,  and  are  a 
fashionable  resort,  but  for  pedestrians  only.  This  pleasure 
ground  is  separated  from  Hyde  Park  by  a  narrow  body  of 
water  called  the  Serpentine,  but  is  connected  with  it  by  a 
bridge.  St.  James'  Park  contains  nearly  IQO  acres,  and  the 
Green  Park  about  sixty  acres.  All  these  parks  are  at  the 
West  End,  the  fashionable  quarter  of  London,  and  all  may 
be  visited  by  crossing  a  bridge  or  street  separating  them  from 
each  other.  Regents  Park  is  north  of  Hyde  Park  and  dis- 
tant about  half  a  mile.  It  contains  nearly  500  acres.  In  this 
park  are  the  Royal  Botanic  Gardens  and  the  Gardens  of  the 
Zoological  Society. 

Bordering  on  St.  James'  Park  are  the  royal  palaces,  and 
some  of  the  palatial  residences  of  the  English  nobility.  St. 
James'  Palace  is  built  on  the  site  of  an  old  hospital  that  dated 
from  before  the  Norman  conquest,  and  dedicated  to  St. 
James.  Henry  VIII.  turned  out  the  inmates,  pulled  down 
the  building,  and  erected  instead  a  palace  for  his  own  use. 
It  was  enlarged  by  Charles  I.,  whose  children  were  born 
here,  and  from  this  place  he  walked,  guarded  by  soldiers, 
through  St.  James'  Park,  to  the  place  of  execution  at  White- 
hall, where  he  was  beheaded.  After  the  burning  of  the 
palace  of  Whitehall,  in  the  reign  of  William  III.,  this  palace 
was  used  as  the  residence  of  the  court  when  in  London,  and 
the  British  government  became  known  as  the  "  Court  of  St. 
James."  Even  when  residing  at  Buckingham  Palace  the 
queen  has  held  her  "drawing  rooms"  here,  it  being  better 
adapted  for  the  purpose.  The  exterior  of  the  building  is  far 
from  being  attractive,  but  it  is  rich  in  historical  associations. 
About  half  past  ten  every  forenoon  the  guard  is  relieved  by 
a  company  drawn  from  Wellington  Barracks,  accompanied 
14 


236  CONSTITUTION    HILL. 

by  the  fine  Guard's  Band,  who,  on  arriving  at  the  east  court 
of  the  palace,  give  a  short  open  air  concert  lasting  about 
twenty  minutes.  I  several  times  had  the  pleasure  of  walk- 
ing with  this  band,  the  best  in  England,  from  the  barracks 
to  the  palace,  listening  to  their  fine  music. 

Clarence  House  adjoins  St.  James'  "Palace  on  the  west 
and  was  built  for  the  Duke  of  Clarence,  afterwards  William 
IV.  It  is  now  occupied  by  the  Duke  of  Edinburgh.  Marl- 
borough  House  is  near  to  St.  James'  on  the  east,  and  was 
built  by  Sir  Christopher  Wren  for  the  hero  of  Blenheim.  It 
is  the  residence  of  the  Prince  of  Wales. 

South-west  of  St.  James'  Palace  and  distant  about  sixty 
rods  is  Buckingham  Palace,  built  on  the  site  of  Bucking- 
ham House  and  completed  for  the  occupancy  of  her  present 
majesty,  who  still  resides  here  when  in  London,  in  1837. 
With  its  grounds  it  occupies  about  thirty  acres,  and  is  sepa- 
rated from  the  Green  Park  by  a  road  known  as  Constitution 
Hill.  This  road  was  a  favorite  riding  ground  of  the  queen 
and  prince  consort,  and  here  the  queen  has  been  three  times 
fired  at  by  would-be  assassins.  Near  tlie  upper  end  of 
Constitution  Hill  Sir  Robert  Peel  was  thrown  from  his  horse 
and  killed  in  1850. 

Having  passed  up  Constitution  Hill  we  reach  Hyde  Park 
Corner,  with  its  fine  gate,  in  front  of  which  is  a  statue  of 
Achilles,  cast  from  cannon  taken  in  the  Peninsular  war,  and 
presented  by  the  women  of  England  to  the  Duke  of  Wel- 
lington and  his  companions  in  arms,  to  commemorate  their 
victories  over  the  French.  Next  to  Hyde  Park  Corner,  in 
a  street  known  as  Picadilly,  is  Apsley  House,  for  over  thirty 
years  the  residence  of  the  Duke  of  Wellington.  In  front 
of  it,  on  a  triumphal  arch,  is  a  colossal  statue  of  the  duke, 
by  Wyatt,  cast  from  cannon  taken  at  Waterloo.  He  is  rep- 
resented as  on  the  battle-field,  seated  on  his  favorite  horse, 
"Copenhagen." 


APPEARANCES.  237 

The  liveried  servants  one  meets  in  these  parks,  and  in  the 
vicinity  of  these  palatial  residences,  are,  as  a  rule,  more  con- 
sequential and  important  looking  than  their  masters.  In- 
deed, but  for  the  gold  lace  and  gilt  buttons,  no  fellow  could 
find  out  the  relative  position  of  the  parties — that  is,  by  look- 
ing at  them.  To-day  my  attention  was  attracted  to  a  won- 
derfully important  looking  person  in  the  livery  of  a  footman, 
posing  with  folded  arms  on  the  box  of  a  carriage,  in  front  of 
the  Apsley  House.  It  seemed  to  me  a  marvel  that  the  Duke 
of  Wellington  was  rich  enough  and  influential  enough  to 
control  the  services  of  such  a  person.  I  stopped  and  looked 
at  him  from  the  sidewalk,  as  I  would  at  an  interesting  pic- 
ture, but  he  took  not  the  slightest  notice  of  my  ill  manners. 
I  felt  piqued,  and,  determined  to  arrest  his  attention,  I 
walked  clear  round  the  carriage;  but  he  never  as  much  as 
winked.  I  began  to  wonder  if  he  were  not  another  statue, 
cast  from  Waterloo  cannon,  when  a  lovely  woman,  wearing 
a  pleasant  smile,  and  who  actually  looked  at  me,  entered  the 
carriage.  A  few  passers-by  had  stopped  as  the  lady  ap- 
peared ;  one  of  them  informed  me  that  she  was  the  Duch- 
ess of  Wellington.  One  of  the  effects  of  travel  is  to  lead 
one  to  distrust  appearances.  Come  to  think  of  it,  the  most, 
perfectly  dressed  man,  with  the  best  fitting  coat  and  most 
immaculate  shirt  bosom  and  cravat,  that  I  have  seen  in  Eu- 
rope, brought  me  lunch  on  a  Rhine  steamer,  and  accepted 
the  small  piece  of  silver  extra  which  I  placed  in  his  hand, 
with  a  bow  that  would  have  made  the  fortune  of  an  Ameri- 
can dancing  master.  I  pay  little  attention  to  dress,  and  in 
the  magnificent  Rhine  scenery  would  not  have  noticed  any 
person's  peculiarities,  but  had  my  attention  called  to  this 
elegantly  dressed  waiter  by  a  person  with  a  decided 
English  accent,  who  exclaimed  with  a  touch  of  envy  in  his 
tone,  "  My  G — !  did  that  coat  grow  on  that  man  ?"  Yes, 
and  come  to  think  again,  the  finest  dressed  woman  I  have 


238  THE    UNDERGROUND    RAILROAD. 

seen,  was  in  the  streets  of  Paris.  She  was  got  up  in  wonder- 
ful style,  yet  our  guide  actually  winked  at  her,  and  after  she 
had  passed,  informed  us  that  she  was  no  better  than  she 
should  be.  Alas  !  for  appearances. 

An  American  said  to  me  :  "  What  an  easy  place  London  is 
to  get  around  in."  He  had  reference  to  the  many  facilities 
for  travel  in  the  metropolis.  The  river  affords  such  facili- 
ties, and  at  a  cheap  rate  ;  small  steamers  are  constantly 
passing  up  and  down,  crowded  with  passengers.  There  are 
fourteen  terminal  stations  on  the  lines  of  the  great  railways, 
which  enter  the  metropolis  from  all  directions.  The  Metro- 
politan, or  as  it  is  more  frequently  called,  the  Underground 
railroad,  is  in  the  form  of  an  irregular  ellipse — not  quite 
completed  at  the  east  end,  where  work  is  in  progress — form- 
ing a  belt  around  inner  London.  Its  stations  are  numerous, 
and  conveniently  located,  approaching  almost  all  the  great 
lines  of  railroads  that  enter  the  city,  and  forming  sub-sta- 
tions where  trains  may  be  taken  for  any  point.  In  entering 
London,  the  well-informed  traveler  can  be  transferred  so  as 
to  reach  any  station  on  the  Metropolitan  road.  The  road 
is  not  always  underground,  and  glimpses  of  daylight  are  in- 
troduced whereVer  possible.  It  does  not  follow  streets,  but 
takes  its  course  without  regard  to  what  may  be  on  the  sur- 
face. It  is  a  great  triumph  of  engineering  skill,  passing  un- 
der sewer  and  wrater  pipes,  dwellings,  stores,  warehouses, 
etc.,  which  have  been  skillfully  undermined  to  give  it  pass- 
age. Take  a  single  example — the  Blackfriars  station  is  large, 
and,  like  nearly  all  stations,  underground.  The  arches 
sprung  over  it  have  to  sustain  two  busy  streets  leading  to 
Blackfriars  bridge  ;  have  to  hold  up  the  line  of  the  Chatham 
and  Dover  railroad,  which  crosses  it,  and  also  sustain  a 
huge  six-story  warehouse.  The  arches,  pillars,  buttresses, 
girders,  beams,  etc.,  necessary  to  hold  up  such  a  roof,  and 
the  skill  displayed .  in  their  design  and  construction,  are  a 


LONDON    CABS.  239 

wonder  to  behold.  Passing  into  one  of  the  Metropolitan 
stations,  you  purchase  a  first,  second  or  third  class  ticket, 
and  passing  down  two  to  four  flights  of  stairs,  find  yourself 
on  the  platform,  in  a  spacious  and  well  lighted  depot.  The 
trains  run  every  three  minutes,  so  a  time-table  is  not  needed. 
Each  locomotive  carries  a  large  sign  in  front,  with  the  name 
of  the  terminus  to  which  it  is  going,  so  that  mistakes  are  un- 
necessary, if  you  understand  your  route.  The  time  made  is 
about  fifteen  miles  per  hour,  including  stoppages.  There  is 
absolutely  no  smoke  on  the  underground  railway,  the  cars 
are  well  lighted,  and  one  is  just  as  comfortable  as  in  a  night 
ride  on  any  first-class  railroad.  From  my  quarters  in  Chart- 
er House  Square  to  the  Aldersgate  street  station  of  the 
Metropolitan  railroad,  is  but  a  single  block,  so  that  I  am  in  a 
position  to  thoroughly  appreciate  the  convenience  of  under- 
ground travel. 

Over  10,000  cabs  are  employed  in  London,  and  cab 
"  stands"  may  be  found  at  almost  every  important  point. 
The  cabs  are  of  two  kinds,  "  four  wheelers,"  and  "  Hansoms," 
named  after  the  inventor.  The  four  wheelers  resemble 
very  much  a  compressed  American  hack,  and  are  intended 
for  four  passengers.  The  Hansoms  are  by  far  the  most  nu- 
merous, and  are  intended  for  two  passengers.  They  are  low 
bodied,  resembling  somewhat  the  old  chaise  ;  the  driver, 
however,  occupies  an  elevated  seat  behind,  the  reins  passing 
to  him  over  the  top  of  the  cab.  There  is  nothing  between 
the  passenger  and  the  dashboard,  and  the  view  is  unob- 
structed. In  case  of  a  storm,  there  is  a  "  boot"  in  front 
which  may  be  closed,  and  communication  with  the  driver  is 
by  a  trap-door  in  the  roof.  I  have  never  seen  a  more  con- 
venient vehicle  for  city  use  than  the  Hansom  cab.  The  fare 
is  reasonable — about  twelve  cents  a  mile,  or  fifty  cents  for 
an  hour — and  costs  no  more  for  two  than  for  one.  As  com- 
pared with  the  American  hackman,  the  cab-driver  is  a  per- 


240  OMNIBUSES. 

son  of  .modest,  even  retiring  disposition.  On  arriving  at  a 
London  depot,  you  see  a  long  line  of  cabs  in  waiting,  the 
drivers  seated  in  solemn  silence  on  their  elevated  seats,  as  if 
waiting  in  front  of  a  church  for  a  funeral  procession.  The 
reason  for  this  is  that  they  must  be  employed  in  turn  ;  the 
foremost  hack  takes  the  fare,  but  as  the  vehicles  and  charges 
are  alike,  it  makes  no  difference  to  the  passenger.  The  dri- 
ver may  possess  all  the  brilliant  qualities  which  distinguish 
his  American  rival,  but  has  no  motive  for  executing  a  war 
dance  or  yelling  himself  hoarse  to  attract  attention.  He 
even  does  not  condescend  to  leave  his  lofty  position,  the  bag- 
gage being  placed  and  the  door  closed  by  the  railroad  porter. 

There  are  over  800  omnibuses  going  to  and  fro  in  Lon- 
don. As  in  Paris,  they  are  "double  deckers,"  having  seats 
on  the  outside,  but  here  the  top  is  reached  by  iron  ladders  in 
the  rear,  practicable  for  gentlemen  only.  The  best  seat  for 
the  stranger  is  beside  the  driver,  who  possesses  a  mine  of  lo- 
cal information  as  to  places  of  interest  on  his  route.  They 
are  usually  communicative,  and  not  averse  to  airing  their 
stale  and  professional  jokes  at  the  incidents  which  occur  on 
the  way.  These  drivers  are  a  singular  class,  affecting  top 
coats,  stove  pipe  hats, — resting  usually  on  the  nose,  or  there- 
abouts—and wonderful  mufflers.  They  are  generally  mid- 
dle-aged or  elderly  men,  cultivating,  as  most  Britons  do,  side 
whiskers,  have  a  stall-fed  appearance,  the  complexion  rang- 
ing from  a  dull  brick  color,  through  all  the  shades  of  red 
and  crimson,  to  a  royal  purple.  An  artist  desiring  a  model 
for  Bardolph's  nose,  can  readily  find  it  among  the  "  bus 
drivers."  First  immortalized  by  the  graphic  pen  of  Dick- 
ens, they  have  ever  since  been  used  as  pegs  on  which  to  hang 
whole  chapters  of  alleged  wit, — I  pass  them  lightly.  The 
omnibus  fare  is  graded  according  to  distance,  ranging  ordi- 
narily from  two  to  six  cents. 

The  eastern  part  of  London,  sometimes  called  St.  Giles,  is 


HOUNDSDITCH.  241 

the  abode  of  the  poorer  and  criminal  classes.  Whitechapel 
is  a  long  and  wide  street,  running  easterly  through  this  part 
of  the  city,  and  has  a  line  of  tram-cars.  Short  excursions 
from  Whitechapel  enable  one  to  see  as  much  poverty  and 
wretchedness  as  may  be  found  in  the  same  space  in  any  oth- 
er city.  The  drinking  places  are  numerous,  and  their  cus- 
tomers seem  to  belong  to  the  vicious  and  criminal  classes. 
Travelers  are  not  in  the  habit  of  visiting  this  part  of  the  city, 
and  yet  it  must  be  seen  to  form  a  correct  idea  of  London. 

In  Houndsditch,  a  street  which  enters  Whitechapel,  is  a 
celebrated  old  clothing  "Exchange."  An  entry  way  leads 
to  a  large  square  or  open  space  where  are  booths  and  stalls 
with  alley-ways  between.  The  market  is  in  the  hands  of 
Jews  who  seem  to  inhabit  the  streets  in  the  vicinity,  and  the 
bargaining  is  done  with  all  the  volubility  and  shrewdness 
peculiar  to  the  race.  There  is  an  immense  trade  jdone  here, 
and  it  has  its  various  departments  and  subdivisions.  The 
dealers  in  old  hats  deal  in  nothing  else,  but  can  furnish  any 
pattern  in  use  during  the  present  century  and  in  any  desired 
state  of  dilapidation.  The  dealers  in  old  shoes  are  just  as 
select,  but  are  subdivided,  as  some  of  them  sell  only  parts 
of  shoes;  and  uppers,  soles  or  heels  may  be  bought  like  fish, 
by  the  string.  The  varieties  of  the  clothing  trade  are  num- 
erous, from  the  carefully  dyed  and  pressed,  shabby-genteel 
garment  that,  handled  with  care,  may  still  do  holiday  duty, 
to  the  veriest  rags.  A  very  large  wholesale  business  is  done, 
the  dealers  in  old  clothing  throughout  the  kingdom  finding 
here  a  ready  market,  where,  having  disposed  of  their  stock, 
they  can  procure  those  images  and  trinkets  and  gew-gaws 
that  shall  beguile  her  Majesty's  subjects  of  their  cast-off 
clothing.  I  am  told  that  colossal  fortunes  have  had  their 
foundations  laid  in  Houndsditch,  their  owners  receiving 
here  that  slight  start  in  business  which  so  soon  enables  the 
careful  son  of  Abraham  to  become  a  banker  or  capitalist. 


242  ITS     ODORS. 

The  worst,  or  rather  the  most  disagreeable  feature  of  the 
place,  is  its  many  smells,  which  affect  gentiles  most  unpleas- 
antly. Nobody  has  seen  all  that  is  characteristic  of  London 
life  who  has  not  visited  Houndsditch  and  the  surrounding 
neighborhood. 


243 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

LONDON. 

M  ethodist  Ecumenical  Conference— City  Road  Chapel— Opening  Services- 
Bishop  Simpson's  Sermon— Methodism  in  England— Relics— Bunhill  Fields 
—Windsor  Castle— St.  George's  Hall— St.  George's  Church— Memorial 
Chapel— Round  Tower— South  Kensington  Museum— Courts  and  Galleries 
—Museum  of  Patents— The  Crysta:  Palace— Interior— English  Courts— Old 
Jewry — Tourists — Books  of  Travel. 

The  Methodist  Ecumenical  Conference  is  in  session  in 
London.  The  idea  of  holding  such  a  conference  originated 
in  America,  and  was  first  proposed,  I  think,  at  the  general 
conference  of  1876,  but  not  till  two  years  later  accepted  by 
the  English  Methodists.  The  conference  consists  of  400 
members,  representing  twenty-six  branches  of  Methodism. 
One  can  hardly  call  them  divisions,  as  all  profess  to  follow 
Wesley,  and  all  hold  the  distinctive  doctrines  of  Wesleyan 
Armenianism.  The  term  ecumenical  has  been  applied  to 
those  great  councils  of  the  church  that  represented  all  Chris- 
tendom. Its  use,  restricted  by  the  word  Methodist,  does 
not  seem  so  inappropriate  when  we  consider  the  wide 
spread  influence  of  the  great  system  which  the  word  indi- 
cates, or  the  fact  that  it  is  literally  a  gathering  of  nations 
and  of  races.  Unlike  other  ecumenical  councils,  it  has 
neither  legislative  nor  judicial  powers  ;  it  cannot  decide 
questions  of  doctrines,  or  polity,  or  usage.  It  has  no  rights 
of  supervision,  direction  or  even  interference.  The  subjects 
for  discussion  seem  to  have  been  carefully  selected  with  a 
view  to  avoiding  possible  controversy.  I  am  inclined  to 
think  too  much  has  been  conceded  in  this  direction,  and 
that  its  sessions  will  not  be  as  interesting  or  profitable  as  if 
a  wider  range  of  subjects  had  been  permitted.  It  is  simply 


244  THE    OPENING    SERMON. 

a  convention  of  representative  Christian  workers  from  all 
branches  of  Methodism — partaking  somewhat  of  the 
character  of  a  family  reunion.  As  promoting  fraternity  and 
co-operation  it  will  undoubtedly  accomplish  great  good.  Its 
sessions  are  to  be  held  in  City  Road  Chapel,  which  is  his- 
toric ground,  having  been  erected  by  John  Wesley.  It  was 
his  favorite  preaching  place  ;  in  the  parsonage  adjoining  he 
lived  for  many  years,  and  his  remains  rest  in  the  little  grave- 
yard in  the  rear  of  the  chapel.  Many  of  the  men  best  known 
to  early  Methodism — Clarke,  Watson,  Benson,  Bunting, 
Newton,  and  other  have  commemorative  tablets  on  its 
walls,  and  many  names  dear  to  Methodism,  are  on  the 
tombstones  which  surround  the  grave  of  its  founder.  Its 
pulpit,  designed  by  Wesley,  is  of  mahogany,  and  of  medium 
height.  The  chapel  has  seats  for  about  800  on  the  floor 
and  600  in  the  galleries. 

The  opening  sermon  was  preached  by  Bishop  Simpson, 
of  the  M.  E.  Church  in  America,  and  I  was  so  fortunate  as 
to  secure  a  ticket  of  admission.  I  was  on  hand  an  hour  be- 
fore the  time  of  service,  and  secured  an  eligible  seat  in  the 
gallery,  the  floor  being  reserved  for  delegates  and  church 
officials.  I  had  a  good  opportunity  of  observing  the  dele- 
gates, who  came  in  early,  and  also  of  making  comparisons 
as  the  delegates  of  each  church  were  seated  together  and 
their  seats  labeled.  It  is  but  fair  to  say  that  the  delegates 
were  not  selected  for  their  good  looks,  or  even,  in  the 
majority  of  cases,  their  intellectual  appearance.  The  Ameri- 
can M.  E.  churches,  north  and  south,  are  far  ahead,  so  far 
as  the  appearance  and  bearing  of  their  delegates  is  con- 
cerned. 

The  morning  service  of  the  English  Church  was  gone 
through  with — they  do  it  here  every  Sunday — and  two  long 
hymns  lined  and  sung  congregationally,  and  without  accom- 
paniment. Bishop  Simpson  then  read  from  a  small  pocket 


THE    ENGLISH    METHODISTS.  245 

bible  known  as  "  John  Wesley's  field  bible,"  being  the  one 
he  carried  in  his  missionary  labors  when  preaching  out 
doors,  the  following  text  from  Johns  Gospel  :  ''  The  words 
that  I  speak  unto  you,  they  are  spirit  and  they  are  life." 
The  sermon,  taking  into  consideration  the  occasion  and 
surroundings,  could  not  have  been  excelled.  American 
Methodists  can  appreciate  it  when  I  say  it  was  one  of  the 
bishop's  very  best.  It  occupied  an  hour  and  a  half  in  de- 
livery and  was  without  notes.  It  is  the  theme  of  conversa- 
tion among  the  delegates  from  all  sections,  and  all  admit 
that  no  other  man  known  to  Methodism  could  have  preached 
such  a  sermon. 

In  the  afternoon  the  address  of.  welcome  was  delivered 
by  Dr.  T.  Osborne,  and  responses  by  Bishop  McTiere 
of  the  M.  E.  Church,  south,  Bishop  Warren  of  the  church 
north,  and  Dr.  Douglas  of  the  Canadian  church.  The  oc- 
casion was  sadly  marred  by  the  lack  of  arrangement  which 
compelled  the  audience  for  nearly  an  hour  to  hear  a  lesson 
in  carpentry  while  the  platform  on  which  the  speeches  were 
to  be  made  was  constructed  with  true  English  deliberation, 
and  then  by  a  tedious  calling  of  the  roll.  The  responses  to 
the  address  of  welcome  were  very  fine. 

In  conversation  with  English  Methodists,  they  claim  that 
their  delegates  do  not  represent  the  highest  order  of  talent 
in  their  church,  and  say  that  men  of  usefulness  as  pastors, 
conservative  men,  "  safe  men,"  not  likely  to  tower  very 
loftily  above  their  brethren,  are  almost  always  selected  for 
positions  of  prominence.  '  This  may  possibly  account  for 
the  fact  that  Methodism  in  England  is  about  at  a  stand 
still  as  to  numbers.  Conservatism  is  not  adapted  for  agres- 
sive  warfare  in  an  age  of  progress.  The  English  Wesley- 
ans  assume  a  peculiar  attitude  toward  the  Established 
church.  They  meekly  assume  the  position  of  "  poor  re- 
lations "  to  that  body,  and  pride  themselves  on  the  fact 


246  BUNHILL    FIELDS. 

that  the  more  liberal  clergymen  of  that  church  occasionally 
afford  them  tokens  of  recognition.  The  fact  that  the  high 
churchmen  regard  them  unfit  to  associate  with  the  "  upper 
classes  "  while  living,  or  rest  in  consecrated  ground  with 
"  baptized  persons  "  when  dead,  does  not  seem  to  disturb 
the  spirit  of  humility  they  are  disposed  to  observe  toward 
the  Established  church.  A  more  independent  spirit  would, 
I  think,  be  conducive  to  the  best  interests  of  Methodism. 

The  Lord  Mayor  of  London  and  Lady  Mayoress  are 
Methodists,  and  lend  their  influence  in  every  way  to  the 
cause.  They  gave  a  reception  to  the  delegates  at  the  Man- 
sion House.  On  day  before  yesterday  I  attended  a  Bazaar 
at  Centenary  Hall,  opened  by  the  Lady  Mayoress,  the  pro- 
ceeds of  sales  and  refreshments  being  for  some  charitable 
purpose.  Quite  a  collection  of  Methodist  relics  were  on 
exhibition,  among  them  Wesley's  old  clock  ;  a  large  number 
of  his  letters  and  of  his  brother  Charles'  ;  Dr.  Coke's  gold 
watch  ;  autograph  letters  of  most  of  the  early  Methodists, 
etc.  The  most  interesting  relics  of  Wesley  that  I  have  seen 
are  in  the  City  Road  parsonage,  where,  in  the  room  in  which 
he  died  is  the  old  furniture,  of  excellent  quality  and  taste- 
ful designs,  for  Wesley  was  evidently  a  man  of  fine  taste. 
His  book  case,  bureau,  desk,  tea-pot,  his  favorite  mahogany 
arm  chair,  in  which  I  was  invited  to  sit,  and  assured  that 
every  president  of  the  conference  from  Wesley's  time  had 
sat  in  it,  and  which  I  observe  is  used  by  the  chairman  of 
the  Ecumenical  Conference. 

Opposite  the  City  Road  Chapel  is  a  noted  dissenter's 
burial  ground,  known  as  Bunhill  Fields.  It  contains  about 
seven  acres,  and  when  first  used  as  a  burial  ground  was  in 
the  open  fields  outside  the  city,  and  called  "Bone-hill-fields." 
It  is  no  longer  used  for  burial  purposes,  but  is  well  cared  for 
on  account  of  its  honored  dead;  nor  is  it  probable  that  the 
demands  of  trade  or  population  will  ever  disturb  it.  Hun- 


GRAVE    OF    BUNYAN.  247 

dreds  of  Non-conformist  divines  rest  here,  and  I  might  furn- 
ish a  long  list  of  names  known  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic, 
like  Owen,  Lardner,  Neil,  Rees,  etc.  Three  members  of  the 
Cromwell  family  are  buried  here.  The  grave  of  that  remark- 
able woman,  Susannah  Wesley,  mother  of  John,  Charles  and 
seventeen  other  Wesleys  is  here,  and  near  to  it  is  a  tomb- 
stone from  which  John  Wesley  frequently  preached.  Wesley 
seems  to  have  loved  the  associations  of  the  place.  Just 
across  the  way  he  built  City  Road  Chapel,  and  beside  it  a 
parsonage,  in  which  he  resided.  The  great  hymn  writer, 
Dr.  Isaac  Watts,  and  Drs.  Stennet  and  Rippon,  less  famous, 
are  buried  here.  As  I  stood  reverently  by  their  graves,  I 
felt  that  if  one  other  grave  was  here,  the  lovers  of  hymnology 
would  need  no  other  shrine.  Charles  Wesley's  remains  rest 
in  the  old  Marylebone  churchyard,  where  with  some  diffi- 
culty I  succeeded  in  gaining  an  entrance  to  pluck  a  sprig  of 
yew  from  the  poet's  grave.  Every  boy  and  girl  will  be  in- 
terested to  know  that  Daniel  De  Foe,  who  wrote  Robinson 
Crusoe,  is  buried  here,  and  that  a  monument  has  been  erect- 
ed over  his  grave  by  contributions  from  the  boys  and  girls. 
And  last,  but  not  least,  near  the  centre  of  this  burial  ground, 
under  a  high  tomb,  lie  the  remains  of  John  Bunyan,  of  im- 
mortal fame  as  author  of  "  The  Pilgrim's  Progress."  Of  this 
grave  Macauley  wrote:  "The  spot  where  Bunyan  lies  is  re- 
garded by  Non-comformists  with  a  feeling  which  seems 
scarcely  in  harmony  with  the  stern  spirit  of  their  theology. 
Many  Puritans,  to  whom  the  respect  paid  by  Roman  Catho- 
lics to  the  reliques  and  tombs  of  their  saints  seemed  childish 
and  sinful,  are  said  to  have  begged  with  their  dying  breath 
that  their  coffins  might  be  placed  as  near  as  possible  to  the 
coffin  of  the  author  of  '  The  Pilgrim's  Progress."  Separated 
from  Bunhill  Fields  by  a  narrow  street  is  a  Friend's  burial 
ground  where  I  found  the  grave  of  George  Fox,  founder  of 
the  society  called  Quakers. 


248  WINDSOR     CASTLE. 

Windsor  Castle  is  twenty-four  miles  from  London,  near 
the  village  of  Windsor  (a  place  of  10,000  inhabitants),  and 
the  finest  and  most  interesting  of  all  the  royal  residences. 
It  was  built  by  William,  of  Wykeham,  for  Edward  III.,  upon 
the  site  of  a  more  ancient  castle  erected  by  William  the 
Conqueror.  It  has  for  eight  centuries  been  a  favorite  resi- 
dence of  the  sovereigns  of  England.  During  and  since  the 
reign  of  George  IV.  over  five  million  dollars  has  been  ex- 
pended upon  it.  A  fine  view  of  the  castle  is  had  from  the 
railway,  and  the  approach  from  the  village  station,  but  a  few 
minutes,  walk  distant,  gives  one  some  idea  of  how  imposing 
a  Norman  castle  of  the  first  class  can  be.  The  great  round 
tower  is  the  most  prominent  feature  of  the  castle,  and  its 
stronghold..  The  queen  being  absent  in  Scotland,  the  park 
grounds  and  state  apartments  are  thrown  open  to  the  public. 
Tickets  of  admission  are  furnished  free  at  the  chamberlain's 
office,  and  the  attendants  in  charge  are  strictly  forbidden  to 
receive  any  fee  whatever. 

We  enter  by  a  door  adjoining  St.  John's  Tower,  and  pass- 
ing through  an  ante-room  in  which  are  a  number  of  old  his- 
torical paintings,  we  enter  the  queen's  audience  chamber. 
The  ceiling,  like  most  of  the  others  painted  by  Verrio,  repre- 
sents Queen  Catherine  as  Brittania  proceeding  to  the  Tem- 
ple of  Virtue  in  a  car  drawn  by  swans  and  accompanied  by 
Ceres,  Flora  and  other  heathen  deities.  The  walls  are  cov- 
ered with  gobelin  tapestry,  representing  scenes  in  the  life  of 
Queen  Esther.  In  this  room  in  a  richly  carved  frame  is  a 
full  length  portrait  of  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots.  The  inscrip- 
tion was  to  me  a  surprise,  or  rather,  I  was  greatly  surprised 
to  find  it  in  Windsor  Castle: 

"  Mary,  Queen  of  Scotland,  true  Princess  and  Legitimate 
Heiress  of  England  and  Scotland,  and  mother  of  James, 
King  of  Great  Britain,  who,  harassed  by  the  heresy  of  her 
people,  and  overpowered  by  rebellion,  came  into  England  in 


THE      GUARD    CHAMBER.  249 

the  year  1568,  for  the  sake  of  sanctuary;  and  relying  on  the 
word  of  her  kinswoman,  Queen  Elizabeth,  is  perfidiously  de- 
tained captive  for  nineteen  years,  and,  traduced  by  a  thous- 
and calumnies,  is,  by  the  cruel  sentence  of  the  English  par- 
liament, at  the  instigation  of  Heresy,  handed  over  to  execu- 
tion; and  on  the  iSth  day  of  February,  1587,  is  beheaded  by 
the  common  executioner  in  the  forty-fifth  year  of  her  life 
and  reign." 

The  most  enthusiastic  defender  of  the  unfortunate  Mary 
could  hardly  frame  a  severer  indictment  of  Elizabeth  and 
her  parliament  than  hangs  in  the  queen's  audience  chamber! 

The  guard  chamber  has  a  large  collection  of  ancient  ar- 
mor and  relics  handsomely  arranged.  Among  them  armor 
once  belonging  to  Lord  Howard,  1588,  Earl  of  Essex,  1596, 
Charles,  Prince  of  Wales,  1620,  and  Prince  Rupert,  1635. 
There  are  fine  busts  of  the.  dukes  of  Marlborough  and  Well- 
ington, and  over  each  is  suspended  the  small  banner,  by  the 
presentation  of  which,  on  the  anniversaries  of  the  battles  of 
Blenheim  and  Waterloo,  respectively,  are  held  the  estates 
voted  those  generals  by  parliament.  Over  the  fire  place  in 
a  glass  case  is  a  finely  wrought  shield,  presented  by  Francis 
I.,  of  France,  to  Henry  VIII.  It  was  made  by  Cellini,  and 
is  accounted  a  marvelous  piece  of  workmanship.  There  are 
two  chairs,  one  made  from  an  oak  that  grew  on  the  field  of 
Waterloo,  the  other  from  an  oak  beam  taken  from  "  Allo- 
way's  auld  haunted  kirk."  An  interesting  relic  is  a  piece  of 
the  foremast  of  the  Victory,  perforated  by  a  cannon  ball  at 
the  battle  of  Trafalgar,  also  a  bar  shot  that  killed  eight  men 
during  the  same  engagement.  There  is  also  an  anchor  and 
two  cannon  fished  from  the  wreck  of  the  Spanish  Armada, 
field  pieces  captured  from  the  Sikhs,  muskets  and  round 
shot  from  Inkermann,  trophies  from  Zululand,  King  Coffee's 
umbrella,  etc. 

St. -George's  hall  is  a  large  room,  200  feet  long,  and  about 


250  ROOMS    AND     FURNITURE. 

thirty-five  feet  wide,  and  thirty-five  feet  high.  Its  ceiling  is 
decorated  with  the  arms  of  the  knights  of  the  garter,  from 
the  institution  of  the  order  till  the  present  time.  The  names 
of  all  the  knights,  from  Edward  III.  and  the  Black  Prince 
to  Beaconsfield  and  the  Marquis  of  Salisbury  (1881),  are 
painted  between  the  windows,  with  a  number  attached  to 
each;  the  corresponding  number  on  the  ceiling  indicates  the 
arms  of  the  knight  named.  The  walls  are  decorated  with 
portraits  of  the  sovereigns  of  England,  from  James  I.  to 
George  IV.  At  the  east  end  is  a  magnificent  throne  and 
behind  it  on  shields  are  the  arms  of  the  sovereigns  of  the 
order,  from  Edward  III.  to  William  IV.  In  the  centre  is  a 
very  long  and  heavy  mahogany  table,  and  in  this  room  was 
given  the  banquet  to  the  Emperor  Alexander,  of  Russia, 
when  he  visited  England,  on  which  occasion  the  attendant 
assures  me  there  was  ten  million  dollars,  worth  of  plate  and 
decorations  on  the  table! 

The  other  rooms  I  will  mention  briefly.  The  queen's 
ante-chamber,  the  walls  covered  with  Gobelin  tapestry, 
and  fine  portraits  of  royal  princesses.  The  grand  recep- 
tion room,  the  walls  covered  with  Gobelin  tapestry  repre- 
senting the  story  of  Jason  and  Medea.  This  room  is  hand- 
somely ornamented,  and  contains  a  very  large  malachite 
vase,  a  gift  from  the  Emperor  of  Russia.  The  throne 
room  contains  many  fine  portraits  and  a  few  pictures  by 
West.  In  the  Rubens  room  the  pictures  are  all  by  the 
artist,  and  the  Zuccarelli  room  has  nine  large  paintings  by 
Zuccarelli.  The  Vandyke  room  has  twenty-two  of  his 
paintings,  mostly  portraits  of  kings  and  princes.  The  grand 
vestibule  contains  banners  and  other  memorials,  and  a 
fine  statue  of  Queen  Victoria.  The  general  impression  made 
by  the  state  apartments  is  that  they  have  "  seen  better  days." 
The  furniture  needs  regilding  and  the  upholstery  and 
decorations  look  faded,  yet  there  is  a  genuine  air  of  gentility 


ST.    GEORGES    CHAPEL.  251 

and    good    taste    notwithstanding.     Gaudiness    has     been 
avoided  and  the  works  of  art  are  both  fine  and  interesting. 

Other  places  of  interest  at  Windsor  are — St.  George's 
Chapel,  a  splendid  specimen  of  Gothic  architecture.  Here 
and  in  the  royal  tombhouse  at  the  east  end,  are  buried 
Henry  VI.,.  Edward  IV.  and  Queen,  Henry  VII.  and  Jane 
Seymour,  Charles  I.,  George  III.,  George  IV.,  William  IV., 
and  the  Duke  of  Kent,  father  of  Queen  Victoria.  The  stalls 
and  banners  of  the  Knights  of  the  Garter  are  in  the  choir, 
and  here  their  installations  are  held.  The  stained  glass 
windows  are  especially  fine,  the  west  window  containing 
subjects  connected  with  the  Knights  of  the  Garter,  the  east 
window,  a  fine  memorial  to  Prince  Albert.  I  attended  the 
daily  afternoon  service  and  heard  some  good  music;  the 
chanting  was  especially  fine.  The  Albert  Memorial  Chapel, 
erected  by  the  queen  on  the  site  of  an  ancient  edifice,  known 
as  Wolsey's  Chapel,  is  a  remarkable  building.  The  ceiling 
and  walls  are  of  Venetian  mosaic,  and  the  windows  of 
stained  glass  are  fine  workmanship.  In  the  center  is  a  richly 
carved  marble  sarcophagus,  with  a  reclining  figure  of  the 
Prince  Consort  on  the  top.  If  judged  by  the  cost  this  small 
room  would  rank  first  among  memorials,  the  queen  having 
spent  upon  it  a  million  and  a  quarter  dollars.  The  profusion 
and  elaborateness  of  the  ornamentation,  however,  destroys  the 
effect.  There  is  no  beauty  of  form  or  proportion,  the  whole 
interior  is  simply  a  mass  of  what  in  America  is  known  as 
"  gingerbread  work,"  but  of  the  most  delicate  and  expensive 
kind.  It  compares  very  unfavorably  with  the  bare  walls 
which  surround  and  beautify  by  their  appropriate  simplicity 
the  tomb  of  Napoleon,  at  the  Invalides. 

One  can  hardly  imagine  a  more  beautiful  rural  scene  than 

the  park  and  grounds  at  Windsor.     There  is    none    of   that 

artificial  appearance  which  characterizes  the    French    parks 

and  gardens.     Nature  has   been    permitted    to    assume    her 

15 


2£2  SOUTH    KENSINGTON    MUSEUM. 

loveliest  forms.  The  view  from  the  top  of  the  Round 
Tower  is  especially  fine.  A  soldier  familiar  with  the  sights 
passes  slowly  around  describing  the  surrounding  country  to 
a  group  of  visitors  and  answering  questions.  The  castle 
buildings,  the  royal  park  and  gardens  ;  the  city  of  Wind- 
sor ;  Eton  with  its  far  famed  college,  on  the  other  side  of 
the  Thames  and  about  a  mile  distant ;  the  church  of  Stoke 
Pogis,  scene  of  Gray's  Elegy  ;  Burnham  Beeches,  a  noble 
park  ;  the  ancestral  mansion  of  William  Penn  ;  Harrow  on 
the  Hill  ;  Frogmore  ;  the  field  of  Bunnemede,  where  King 
John  signed  Magna  Charta  ;  Richmond  hill ;  the  Surry  hills  ; 
Epsom  Downs  ;  and  the  smoke  of  distant  London,  are 
pointed  out  from  the  top  of  the  Round  Tower.  The  rail- 
road from  London  to  Windsor  passes  places  of  much  in- 
terest, as  well  as  fine  parks,,  beautiful  residences  and  fertile 
fields  ;  indeed,  one  gets  a  glimpse  of  some  of  England's 
choice  rural  scenery. 

The  South  Kensington  Museum  is  on  the  Brompton  road, 
about  a  mile  from  Hyde  Park  Corner.  It  was  originated 
by  Prince  Albert  and  founded  with  the  profits  of  the  Exhi- 
bition of  1851.  Since  that  time  large  grants  have  been 
made  by  parliament,  and  the  government  now  defrays  its 
entire  expenses,  amounting  to  the  large  sum  of  a  million  and 
a  half  dollars  yearly.  Its  design  is  the  promotion  of  art  by 
means  of  its  large  museum,  its  schools  of  instruction,  de- 
signed more  especially  for  teachers,  its  public  examinations 
and  exhibitions,  and  the  distribution  of  prizes.  Its  design 
is  thoroughly  practical,  and  its  buildings  are  of  the  plainest 
character,  nothing  having  been  expended  for  show.  I  can 
give  but  the  briefest  sketh  of  this  vast  collection,  already 
rivalling  the  British  Museum,  and  soon  to  contain  its  entire 
department  of  natural  history.  It  is  principally  arranged  in 
courts  on  the  ground  floor. 

The   architectural   court   contains    copies   of   what    are 


COURTS    AND    GALLERIES.  253 

considered  masterpieces  of  art,  largely  sculptures  and  carv- 
ings. The  north  wall  is  covered  with  a  diagram,  represent- 
ing the  comparative  sizes  of  the  great  buildings  of  the  world, 
principally  churches.  There  is  also  a  large  display  of  orna- 
mental iron  work.  The  south  court  contains  the  Loan 
Collection,  and  is  rich  in  ecclesiastical  curiosities — crosses, 
mitres,  chalices,  fonts,  cups,  carvings,  and  enamels,  among 
them  the  crown  and  chalice  of  the  Abima  of  Abyssinia. 
There  is  also  a  large  display  of  porcelain,  pottery  and  glass- 
ware, Chinese  and  Japanese  ware,  and  ornamental  and  other 
woven  fabrics,  etc.  The  oriental  courts  are  richly  decor- 
ated in  oriental  style  and  contain  specimens  of  the  art 
manufactures  of  India,  China,  Japan,  Persia,  etc.  The 
north  court  fcontains  casts  of  fine  sculptures,  mostly  large 
size,  among  them  the  Marble  singing  gallery,  from  Florence, 
a  biga  or  two  horse  chariot  from  the  Vatican,  and  two  pul- 
pits from  the  Cathedral  of  Pisa. 

The  ceramic  gallery  has  earthenware,  stoneware  and 
porcelain,  from  all  countries,  and  in  great  variety.  The 
Prince  Consort's  gallery  is  devoted  largely  to  gold  and 
silver  work,  enamelings,  carvings  in  ivory,  etc.  The  library 
contains  about  60,000  volumes  on  art  subjects,  also  over 
60,000  engravings  and  drawings  and  40,000  photographs 
illustrating  art  and  architecture.  In  this  department  some 
of  the  original  manuscripts  of  Charles  Dickens'  works  are 
preserved,  also  Oliver  Goldsmith's  chair,  desk,  and  walking 
cane. 

The  picture  galleries  are  quite  extensive,  most  of  the  best 
English  painters  being  represented,  but  are  principally  inter- 
esting for  their  mechanical  drawings,  and  for  Raphael's  cel- 
ebrated cartoons.  These  cartoons  are  of  a  very  large  size 
drawn  on  strong  paper  and  chalk,  and  colored  in  distemper^ 
They  were  executed  by  Raphael  in  1513  for  Pope  Leo  X., 
as  designs  for  tapestry  work.  There  were  originally  ten  of 


254  GENERAL    MUSEUM. 

these  cartoons  ;  three  have  been  lost,  but  the  tapestries  con- 
taining all  the  designs  are  in  the  Vatican.  Their  history  is 
interesting — Rubens  saw  them  in  the  wareroom  of  a  manu- 
facturer, at  Arras,  and  advised  Charles  I.  to  buy  them, 
which  he  did,  for  a  tapestry  manufactury  he  had  established 
in  England.  Cromwell,  after  Charles'  death,  bought  them 
for  $1,500,  and  they  remained  at  Whitehall,  till,  by  order  of 
William  III.,  a  room  was  built  for  them  at  Hampton  Court, 
where  they  remained  until  recently,  when  the  queen  gave 
permission  for  their  removal  to  South  Kensington.  As  one 
studies  these  works  of  the  great  master  it  seems  strange  that 
they  should  have  lain  forgotten  among  the  cast  off  patterns 
of  a  tapestry  manufactory  till  recognized  by  the  artistic  eye 
of  Rubens.  The  subjects  of  these  cartoons  may  be  of  in- 
terest to  my  readers  :  they  are  Christ's  charge  to  Peter  ; 
Death  of  Annanias  ;  Peter  and  John  healing  the  lame  man  ; 
Paul  and  Barnabus  of  Lystra  ;  Elymas  the  Sorcerer,  struck 
blind  ;  Paul  preaching  at  Athens  ;  the  miraculous  draught  of 
fishes.  Such  subjects  will  be  recognized  as  worthy  the  highest 
efforts  of  the  great  Raphael. 

In  the -General  Museum  may  be  found  furniture,  ancient 
and  modern,  old  tapestry,  state  carriages,  sedan  chairs, 
wood  carvings,  sculptures  in  terra-cotta,  chimney  pieces, 
etc.  The  Indian  Museum  has  been  recently  transferred 
here  from  the  Indian  Office,  and  contains  almost  every- 
thing relating  to  Indian  life  and  history.  The  Educational 
Museum  contains  models  of  school  buildings  and  school 
furniture  and  apparatus.  There  is,  rather  strangely,  in  this 
department  a  "munitions  of  war  collection,"  possibly  with 
a  view  of  teaching  the  young  idea  how  to  shoot. 

More  terrible  than  this  war  collection  is  the  formidable 
array  of  musical  instruments,  extending  from  the  tomtom, 
the  three  stringed  lyre  and  Pan's  pipes,  to  the  latest  horror, 
the  Organette.  Egyptians,  Assyrians,  Persians,  Babylonians, 


MUSEUM    OF    PATENTS.  255 

Chaldeans,  Jews,  Greeks,  Romans,  as  well  as  modern  nations 
and  tribes  have  endured  many  things  of  the  instruments 
represented  in  this  large  and  most  interesting  collection, 
which  affords  materials  for  the  study  of  musical  progress  in 
all  ages  and  countries.  The  assortment  of  harpsichords, 
virginals  and  spinets  is  especially  large,  and  among  them  I 
noticed  a  precious  relic,  the  favorite  harpsichord  of  Handel. 
Connected  with  the  museum  is  the  royal  school;  school  of 
mining;  the  scientific  school;  and  the  national  art  training 
school,  where  pupils  are  trained  to  become  teachers,  the 
most  promising  receiving,  if  necessary,  pecuniary  aid  to  en- 
able them  to  pursue  their  art  studies. 

The  museum  of  patents  contains  a  large  number  of  models 
and  pieces  of  machinery.  I  was  especially  interested  in  an 
ancient  tower  clock,  made  in  1325  by  Peter  Lightfoot,  for 
Glastonbury  Abbey,  afterwards  set  up  in  Wells'  cathedral, 
where  it  remained  till  1854,  and  now  running  in  the  museum. 
It  is  of  somewhat  rude  workmanship,  and  I  discovered  no 
metals  in  it  but  iron  and  steel.  It  is  one  of  the  most  inter- 
esting horometrical  relics  in  England.  Arkwright's  original 
spinning  jenny,  and  George  Stephenson's  locomotive,  "  The 
Rocket,"  built  in  1829,  are  here;  also  the  marine  engine  of 
the  "  Comet,"  used  on  the  Clyde  in  1812,  and  the  oldest 
locomotive  in  existence,  "  Puffing  Billy,"  in  use  from  1813 
till  1862,  in  the  Wylam  Collieries.  A  pumping  engine  of 
1777,  and  a  steam  pump  of  1775.  A  threshing  machine  made 
in  1802,  and  a  reaper  (resembling  very  much  the  American) 
used  in  England  from  1826  till  1869.  A  printing  press  used 
by  Benjamin  Franklin.  It  will  be  seen  by  the  specimens 
given  how  very  interesting  this  collection  of  machinery 
must  be. 

The  Crystal  Palace,  at  Sydenham,  is  a  magnificent  build- 
ing situated  on  a  commanding  height,  surrounded  by  a  beau- 
tiful park  and  extensive  gardens  and  pleasure  grounds.  Al- 


256  THE    CRYSTAL    PALACE. 

though,  I  should  judge,  eight  to  ten  miles  from  Charing 
Cross,  its  railroad  facilities  make  it  as  accessible  as  if  much 
nearer  the  centre  of  the  city.  The  fare  from  London  rail- 
way station,  and  return,  with  a  ticket  of  admission  to  the 
palace,  is  but  half  a  dollar.  It  is  regarded  as  the  cheapest 
and  best  place  of  amusement  in  London,  and  sixty  to  seventy 
thousand  persons  have  visited  it  in  a  single  day.  The 
grounds  contain  about  300  acres,  and  the  vast  building  was 
erected  in  1853-4  by  Sir  John  Paxton,  partly  from  the 
material  used  in  the  great  exhibition  building  of  1851,  at 
Hyde  Park.  The  main  building  is  in  round  numbers  about 
twenty  by  one  hundred  rods;  the  centre  of  the  glass  roof  is 
usually  about  one  hundred  feet  from  the  floor,  though  in 
some  places  much  higher,  and  the  towers  at  each  end  are 
280  feet  high.  From  the  centre  of  the  building  the  eye  can 
take  in  over  twenty  acres  of  glass  overhead — in  all  twenty- 
five  acres  of  glass,  weighing  300  tons,  and  over  10,000  tons 
of  iron  were  used  in  the  building.  I  cannot  describe  the 
magnificent  and  graceful  appearance  of  this  immense  struct- 
ure, but  can  satisfy  the  usual  yankee  curiosity  as  to  cost  (by 
which  so  many  judge  of  value  and  quality),  by  stating  that 
the  building  and  grounds  cost  nearly  ten  million  dollars.  It 
is  owned  and  operated  by  a  stock  company,  and  said  to  pay  a 
moderate  interest  on  the  investment.  It  would  be  impossible 
in  a  reasonable  space  to  describe  in  detail  this  building  and 
contents.  I  can  only  briefly  indicate  its  general  plan  and  uses. 
The  centre  transept  is  the  region  of  music  and  entertain- 
ment, and  under  its  immense  dome  is  the  Handel  Orchestra, 
capable  of  seating  4,000  performers.  It  is  used  for  choral 
performances,  notably  for  children's  concerts,  where  many 
thousands  participate.  In  the  rear  of  the  orchestra  is  a 
great  organ,  built  for  the  place  and  of  wonderful  power.  A 
good  orchestra,  numbering  about  sixty  performers,  played  at 
intervals  during  my  stay. 


THE    NAVE.  257 

The  nave  is  divided  into  courts  or  sections,  containing 
the  products  of  art  or  industry  of  the  countries  and  periods 
for  which  they  are  named.  The  Egyptian  Court  has  at  its 
entrance  a  short  avenue  of  lions,  brought  from  the  Nile, 
which  leads  to  an  open  court,  a  fac-simile  of  a  temple  of  the 
Ptolemys,  300  B.  C.;  there  is  also  a  pillared  hall  of  Karnak. 
The  architecture,  statues,  paintings,  decorations,  inscriptions, 
etc.,  are  supposed  to  transport  one  to  ancient  Egypt,  and  it 
must  be  confessed  the  illusion  is  very  perfect.  The  Greek 
Court  is  a  representation  of  an  ancient  Grecian  market 
place,  the  buildings  mostly  Doric.  At  one  end  is  a  very 
perfect  model,  a  little  less  than  quarter  size,  of  the  noblest 
building  of  the  Greeks — the  Parthenon.  The  statues  in  this 
court  are  casts  from  the  finest  specimens  of  Greek  art,  now 
scattered  in  the  various  museums  of  Europe.  In  the  centre 
of  the  Roman  Court  are  interesting  models  of  the  pantheon, 
the  coliseum,  and  the  forum.  The  Alhambra  Court  is  copied 
from  the  Moorish  Palace  at  Granada,  and  contains  the  Court 
of  Lions,  Hall  of  Justice,  and  other  apartments.  The  Byzan- 
tine Court/  the  English  Mediaeval  Court,  the  Renaissance 
Court,  the  Italian  Court,  the  Chinese  Court,  are  equally  in- 
teresting, but  their  points  of  interest  are  so  numerous  that  I 
must  omit  them. 

The  Pompeian  House  carries  us  back  1800  years,  to  the 
Bay  of  Naples,  to  the  ill-fated  city  of  Pompeii,  where  lived 
the  indolent  and  luxurious  Roman  patricians.  The  burial 
of  this  city  in  the  ashes  of  Mount  Vesuvius,  has  preserved 
for  us  intact  a  specimen  of  the  Roman  house  of  the  period. 
A  perfect  fac-simile,  to  the  minutest  detail,  has  been  pre- 
pared in  the  Crystal  Palace,  illustrating  the  mode  of  life, 
habits  and  customs  of  the  people.  Some  of  the  paintings 
are  very  fine,  and  the  court  dining  room,  bed  rooms,  dress- 
ing room,  bath  room,  etc.,  are  richly  decorated. 

A  part  of  the  nave  is    partitioned   off    by    a    screen,    and 


258  THE    GROUNDS. 

called  the  tropical  department.  It  is  kept  at  a  temperature 
of  about  seventy  degrees,  as  being  the  most  congenial  to  the 
tropical  vegetation  it  contains.  A  large  marble  edged  basin 
with  fountain  occupies  the  centre.  There  are  some  gigantic 
tree  ferns,  one  of  them  presented  by  her  majesty,  bananas, 
the  date  palm,  bamboos,  india-rubber  plants,  sago  p'lants,  a 
dragons'  blood  tree,  Japanese  fruit  trees,  etc.  In  the  orange- 
ry are  oranges,  lemons,  citron  trees,  India  figs,  camelias,  etc. 
There  is  also  a  collection  of  foreign  birds,  cockatoos,  parrots, 
love  birds,  etc.  In  the  aquarium  is  a  rare  and  interesting 
collection  of  fresh  and  salt  water  fish. 

A  considerable  part  of  the  building  is  devoted  to  purposes 
of  trade.  There  is  a  printing  department,  a  factory  for  ivory 
turning  and  carving;  indeed,  I  found  a  large  lower  room 
where  second-hand  carriages  are  kept  for  sale.  In  all  the 
galleries  and  part  of  the  nave  are  stalls,  booths,  and  small 
rooms  for  the  sale  of  books,  mathematical  instruments,  stere- 
oscopes and  views,  and  indeed  almost  every  description  of 
toys  and  fancy  goods,  as  well  as  dress  goods,  shawls,  and 
furs.  There  seems  to  be  a  large  trade  and  the  prices  rea- 
sonable as  elsewhere.  I  bought  a  set  of  drawing  instru- 
ments for  less  than  the  price  demanded  in  Cheapside.  The 
facilities  for  furnishing  meals  and  refreshments  are  numer- 
ous and  prices  reasonable. 

Leaving  the  building  to  visit  the  grounds,  we  step  out  on  a 
great  terrace,  say  three  rods  wide  and  a  hundred  rods  long. 
On  this  immense  promenade  are  a  large  number  of  allegori- 
cal marble  statues,  and  the  view  is  one  to  delight  the  eye. 
We  descend  by  a  flight  of  steps  a  hundred  feet  wide,  and 
are  in  the  midst  of  artificial  lakes,  fountains,  statues,  flowers, 
ornamental  temples — indeed  almost  everything  that  could 
make  such  a  scene  attractive.  There  are  also  cricket 
grounds,  an  archery,  shooting  galleries,  an  angling  and  boat- 
ing lake,  besides  the  usual  swings,  merry-go  rounds,  etc.; 


ENGLISH    COURTS.  259 

furnishing  out-door  amusements  for  those  who  desire.  It 
will  not  be  wondered  at  that  a  place  whose  attractions  I 
have  only  hinted  at  should  be  visited  by  over  a  million  and 
a  half  persons  yearly. 

In  the  English  Courts  which  I  have  visited,  I  have  ob- 
served none  of  the  wrangling  or  bitterness  among  counsel 
so  frequent  in  America.  Attorneys  treat  each  other  as  gen- 
tlemen, engaged  in  an  honorable  calling.  More  strangely 
still,  the  fact  that  a  man  appears  in  court  as  a  witness  does 
not  transform  him  into  a  perjured  liar  to  be  abused  at  the 
pleasure  of  opposing  counsel.  Attending  court  is  therefore 
a  dull  business,  and  as  a  consequence  but  little  room  is 
needed  for  spectators  and  the  court  rooms  are  small.  This 
could  all  be  changed  if  counsel  would  only  indulge  in  un- 
warranted innuendos  and  indiscriminate  abuse  of  all  opposed 
to  them.  Gaping  crowds  would  then  assemble  to  witness 
the  exhilarating  scene.  But  there  is  small  hope  of  it,  the 
English  have  such  a  stupid  prejudice  against  American 
methods.  The  English  newspapers  are  utterly  lacking  in 
enterprise.  I  am  told  that  an  important  murder  trial  may 
be  in  progress  for  weeks  without  a  single  editorial  as  to  the 
guilt  or  innocence  of  the  accused,  a  question  usually  deter- 
mined by  the  American  papers  before  the  trial  begins. 
This  lack  of  journalistic  enterprise  acts  injuriously  on  the 
better  class  of  citizens,  forcing  them  to  serve  as  jurors  in 
important  cases.  It,  however,  relieves  the  officers  of  the 
court  from  ransacking  their  counties  to  find  dolts  and  fools 
who  never  read  the  papers,  before  every  important  case  is 
tried. 

Speaking  of  courts  reminds  me  of  a  visit  the  other  day  to 
a  noted  legal  firm  in  Old  Jewry.  The  name  designates  a 
narrow  street  which  enters  Cheapside  and  was  formerly  in 
the  Jewish  quarter.  Six  centuries  ago  it  had  its  synagogue 
and  was  surrounded  by  a  Jewish  population,  who  here  for 


260  AN    ENGLISH    LAWYER. 

centuries  subsequent  submitted  to  the  tortures  and  abuse 
practiced  upon  them  by  Christian  kings  to  extort  money 
from  them  for  pious  and  other  uses.  A  Flint  law  firm  had 
intrusted  me  with  a  matter  of  business  to  transact  for  them 
in  Old  Jewry,  for  over  a  century  the  quarters  of  the  legal 
fraternity,  and  with  visions  of  "Quirk,  Gammon  &  Snap" 
in  mind  I  ascended  the  steps  of  the  dingy  law  office  to  de- 
liver my  letter  of  introduction.  It  was  an  open  letter,  writ- 
ten by  my  friend —  mostly  in  the  "  cuneiform  "  or 

"  arrow  headed  "  style.  Being  familiar  with  his  hierogly- 
phics I  was  able  to  decipher  enough  of  it  to  understand 
that  it  referred  tome  as  "judge."  This  brevet  title  cost 
me  a  new  hat,  as  no  "judge"  could  present  himself  in  a 
battered  tile  which  had  seen  service  on  the  Florida,  and 
stood  the  wear  and  tear  of  a  Continental  trip.  A  good  deal 
of  red  tape  surrounds  the  better  class  of  English  lawyers. 
This  firm  consisted  of  three  members,  employing  quite  a 
number  of  assistants  in  the  shape  of  clerks  and  messengers. 
On  entering  I  was  referred  to  a  clerk  whose  duty  it  is  to 
answer  enquiries,  read  letters  of  introduction  and  decide 
the  question  of  admission  to  the  private  offices.  I  handed 
him  my  letters  and  was  motioned  to  a  seat,  where  for  nearly 
an  hour  I  awaited  his  pleasure.  During  this  time  at  least 
half-a-dozen  persons  were  denied  admission  to  the  private 
offices.  I  was  at  length  placed  in  charge  of  a  messenger 
and  conducted  to  an  inner  office,  where  sat  a  large  English- 
man, fat,  jolly  and  unlawyerlike,  in  the  American  sense,  as 
could  be  imagined — just  the  man  to  fill  his  pockets  with 
candy  for  the  children,  and  let  them  ride  on  his  back  after 
he  got  home.  To  associate  such  a  man  with  "  midnight 
oil"  or  sharp  practice  would  be  impossible.  I  "stated  my 
business,  briefly,  received  the  mo^t  careful  attention  and  all 
desired  information,  leaving  with  the  impression  that  how- 
ever high  he  might  stand  as  a  lawyer^  he  was  a  whole-souled 


TOURISTS.  26l 

English  gentleman,  the  barriers  which  surround  him  being 
no  doubt  intended  to  save  from  unwarranted  intrusion  or 
the  thoughtlessness  of  friends  the  time  which  to  such  a  man 
means  money — and  a  good  deal  of  it.  I  wonder  what  he 
thought  of  the  newly-fledged-for-the  occasion  specimen  of 
the  American  Judiciary  ! 

Tourists,  is  the  stylish  name  given  to  Americans  in 
Europe.  For  what  purpose  some  of  them  travel  it  would 
be  difficult  to  determine.  They  know  little  of  the  countries 
they  visit  and  cannot  be  really  interested  in  the  things  they 
see.  An  old  man  and  woman,  with  their  daughter  and  son- 
in-law,  hailing  from  the  presidential  state — Ohio,  were  with 
our  party  in  Paris  for  two  days.  The  plan  of  our  conductor 
required  three  days  to  see  the  principal  objects  of  interest, 
and  I  told  the  Ohioans  they  had  better  go  with  us  another  day 
and  not  miss  the  Louvre.  "No,"  replied  the  old  man,  "  it's 
cost  enough  now,  and  I  reckon  one  place  is  as  good  as 
another,"  and,  so  far  as  himself  and  family  were  concerned, 
he  was  right.  Of  course  I  do  not  introduce  these  as  typical 
Americans,  far  from  it,  but  there  are  more  of  this  class  than 
one  cares  to  meet.  It  has  become  fashionable  to  visit 
Europe,  so  much  so  that  in  the  busy  season  the  numerous 
lines  of  steamers  cannot  accommodate  the  ever  increasing 
volume  of  travel.  On  arriving  in  Europe,  the  only  key  to 
enjoyment  some  of  them  possess  in  the  presence  of  its  histor- 
ical shrines  and  its  treasures  of  art  and  antiquity,  is  money. 
It  is  a  good  thing  to  have — wonderfully  convenient,  especially 
among  strangers.  The  best  outfit,  however,  is  a  good  stock 
of  general  information  and  a  fair  knowledge  of  history,  sup- 
plemented by  a  thorough  course  of  preparatory  reading  in 
reference  to  the  countries  to  be  visited.  This,  with  but  a 
little  money,  will  afford  more  real  enjoyment  than  General 
Shoddy  and  wife  can  procure  from  the  most  lavish  expendi- 
tures. "  Rich  as  an  American,"  has  become  a  familiar 


262  TRAVELER'S  EXPERIENCES. 

phrase  on  the  continent,  and  it  is  fair  to  suppose  they  have 
associated  with  the  name  the  most  striking  characteristic  of 
the  Americans  they  meet.  u  Sensible  as  an  American," 
"frugal  as  an  American,"  "modest  as  an  American  (!)" 
have  not  yet  become  European  proverbs.  The  cheap  ar- 
rangements of  the  tourists'  agencies,  reducing  the  entire 
cost  to  a  fixed  sum,  and  enabling  clergymen,  school  teachers 
and  others  of  the  educated  classes  to  make  the  trip,  will  do 
much  to  change  the  estimate  of  Americans. 

I  have  read  books  of  travel,  largely  made  up  of  the  disa- 
greeable experiences  of  the  traveler.  Quarrels  with  guides, 
extortions  of  landlords,  troubles  with  railroad  employes  and 
customs  officials,  fleeced  by  carriage  drivers ;  indigestible 
and  insufficient  food,  untidiness  and  rapacity  of  servants — 
yes,  even  whole  pages  devoted  to  encounters  with  fleas  !  I 
have  felt  sometimes  as  if  the  man  who  could  triumph  over 
all  these  must  be  a  hero  indeed.  My  experiences  have  been 
exceedingly  commonplace.  I  have  had  no  quarrels,  or  even 
misunderstandings  with  any  one  ;  everybody  has  used  me 
well.  The  drivers  have  been  reasonable  in  their  charges, 
the  hotels  good,  prices  moderate,  and  servants  accommodat- 
ing, officials  have  been  polite,  I  have  never  missed  a  train, 
or  a  meal  on  land,  and  the  readiness  of  strangers  to  afford 
information  or  needed  advice  has  been  remarkable.  The 
result  is  that  I  have  been  unable  to  season  these  pages  with 
spicy  quarrels  or  interesting  misadventures.  I  did  not  ex- 
pect to  find  things  in  Europe  as  at  home,  nor  did  I  expect 
my  presence  and  example  would  materiallya  ffect  European 
habits  or  customs.  On  the  contrary,  I  have  endeavored  to 
conform  as  far  as  possible  to  my  surroundings,  and  found  it 
pleasant  to  do  so.  I  also  traveled  with  the  purpose  con- 
stantly in  mind  of  economising,  wherever  consistent  with 
comfort  and  self  respect,  a  method  I  would  commend  to 
others  as  securing  much  comfort  and  immunity  from  trouble. 


263 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

LONDON LIVERPOOL. 

The  British  Museum— Library— Books  and  Manuscripts— Coins— Ornaments 
and  Gems— Egyptian  and  Assyrian  Remains— Rosetta  Stone— Elgin  Mar- 
bles, etc.— Madame  Tussaud's— The  Thames— Greenwich— Victoria  Em- 
bankment—The Obelisk— Temperance— Taxes,  etc.— Liverpool— Docks — 
Public  Buildings— Streets. 

The  British  Museum  is  on  Great  Russel  street,  Blooms- 
bury,  and  covers  about  seven  acres,  its  principal  front  hav- 
ing a  witdth  of  nearly  400  feet.  The  starting  point  of  the 
present  vast  collection  was  a  bequest  to  the  British  govern- 
ment of  the  Sloane  Collection,  by  Sir  Hans  Sloane,  in  1753. 
In  1754  this  collection,  with  the  Harlein  Manuscripts  and 
Cottonian  Library,  were  united  and  placed  in  an  old  build- 
ing, on  the  site  of  the  present  museum,  known  as  the  Mon- 
tague House.  In  1801  George  III.  presented  a  large  col- 
lection of  Egyptian  curiosities  ;  afterwards  the  Elgin  Mar- 
bles were  purchased  ;  and  when  in  1823,  the  king's  library, 
collected  by  George  IIL  during  his  long  reign,  was  pre- 
sented to  the  museum  by  his  successor,  George  IV.,  the 
present  building  was  commenced  and  completed  in  1847. 
Although  the  government  has  been  most  liberal  in  purchas- 
ing objects  of  interest,  the  museum  seems  to  be  largely  com- 
posed of  bequests  and  donations.  The  life  work  of  special- 
ists ;  the  hoards  of  antiquarians  and  bibliopoles  ;  with  the 
wonderful  treasures  of  art  and  antiquity,  gathered  during 
the  present  century,  by  liberal  and  adventurous  Englishmen 
in  classic  fields,  have  been  freely  poured  into  this  vast  treas- 
ury, and  become  the  property  of  the  nation.  It  is  already 
running  over ;  its  pictures  are  to  be  transferred  to  the  na- 


264  THE    LIBRARY. 

tional  gallery,     and  its  vast  natural  history  collection  be- 
comes the  property  of  the  museum  at  South  Kensington. 

The  library  of  printed  books  numbers  over  1,300,000. 
These  seven  figures,  formidable  as  they  appear,  can  convey 
but  a  faint  idea  of  its  immensity,  or  of  its  almost  inestimable 
value,  on  account  of  the  rarity  and  historic  interest  of  many 
of  the  works  it  contains.  To  spend  but  a  single  minute  in 
examining  each  volume  would  require  about  seven  years, 
working  ten  hours  per  day  !  In  the  king's  library  are  more 
than  a  dozen  table  show-cases,  in  which  are  arranged  some 
of  the  choicest  treasures  it  contains.  There  are  some  fine 
specimens  of  "block-books,"  those  very  rare  productions 
printed  from  solid  blocks,  and  immediately  preceding  the 
invention  of  the  art  of  printing  from  movable  types.  Among 
these  are  several  parts  of  the  Scriptures  and  manuals  of  de- 
votion ;  in  some  of  these  the  cuts  or  illustrations  are  hand- 
somely colored  by  hand.  Among  these  block-books  is  the 
earliest  printed  almanac,  published  at  Nuremberg,  in  1474, 
and  undisputed  head  of  all  the  almanacs.  Here  also  is  the 
earliest  complete  printed  book  known,  the  bible  in  Latin, 
commonly  known  as  the  Mazarine  Bible,  printed  by  Guten- 
berg and  Faust,  at  Mentz,  1455.  It  is  a  fine  specimen  of 
the  printer's  art,  and  the  man  who  can  indifferently  examine 
or  pass  over  the  first  printed  book,  must  be  more  stoical 
than  I  am.  I  confess  I  have  seldom  felt  more  profoundly 
moved,  than  while  inspecting  this  first  printed  book — The 
Mazarine  Bible.  And  how  strange  it  seems  that  it  should 
have  taken  thousands  of  years  to  suggest  the  simple  idea  of 
movable  types.  Hundreds  of  years  before  Christ,  we  find 
on  seals  and  coins  the  most  perfect  lettering,  from  dies 
as  perfect  as  can  be  produced  by  the  art  of  to-day, 
and  yet  how  many  centuries  it  took  to  suggest  the  idea  of 
separate  movable  dies  for  each  letter  !  Besides  this,  the 
earliest,  the  library  contains  over  1,700  other  editions  of  the 


RARE    BOOKS.  265 

printed  Bible,  almost  every  known  language  being  rep- 
resented. 

I  shall  mention  but  a  very  few  of  the  other  rare  books  in 
this  collection.  A  Psalter  in  Latin,  being  the  first  printed 
Psalter,  the  first  book  with  a  date,  1457,  and  the  first  exam- 
ple of  printing  in  colors.  A  Greek  grammar,  printed  at 
Milan,  1476,  being  the  first  book  printed  in  Greek  charac- 
ters. Liber  Epistolorum,  the  first  book  printed  in  France, 
1470.  Recuyell  of  the  Historeys  of  Troye,  the  first  book 
printed  in  the  English  language,  printed  abroad  by  Caxton, 
about  1475  »  a^so  tne  same  work  in  the  French  language, 
by  Caxton,  about  1475.  In  r477?  Caxton  came  to  England 
and  settled  at  Westminster,  within  the  precincts  of  the  abbey, 
where  he  issued  the  first  book  ever  prjnted  in  England,  en- 
titled "  The  dictes  or  sayenges  of  the  Philosophres,  enprinted 
by  me,  William  Caxton  at  Wesmestre  the  yere  of  our  lorde 
1477."  A  copy  of  a  book  by  Henry  VIII.,  of  England, 
Assertis  Septum  Sacramentarum,  printed  at  London,  1521, 
and  for  which  Pope  Leo  X.  conferred  on  Henry  the  title  of 
"  Defender  of  the  Faith."  The  Great  Bible  of  1540,  known 
as  Cranmer's  Bible — on  vellum,  a  copy  richly  bound,  and 
presented,  as  the  title  page  shows,  to  Henry  VIII.  There 
are  also  first  editions  of  Shakespeare,  Milton  and  most  other 
British  authors.  In  one  of  the  cases  is  a  small  book  of 
prayers,  used  by  Lady  Jane  Grey  and  containing  her  auto- 
graph, presented  by  her,  as  her  eyes  were  about  to  be  band- 
aged on  the  scaffold,  to  the  lieutenant  of  the  Tower.  Also 
an  indulgence,  issued  by  Pope  Leo  X.,  for  the  rebuilding  of 
St.  Peter's  at  Rome — on  vellum.  This  indulgence  was  sold 
by  Tetzel  and  Samson,  as  sub-commissioners  under  the 
archbishop  of  Mentz.  Luther's  remonstrances  against  this 
proceeding  is  regarded  as  the  commencement  of  the  Refor- 
mation. 

The  cases  from  which    I   have  selected  these  books  for 


266  AUTOGRAPHS. 

mention,  contain  over  200  others  of  almost  equal  interest. 
Some  have  belonged  to  royal  personages,  others  are  re- 
garded as  remarkable  for  their  illustrations,  and  others  still 
for  their  rare  and  beautiful  bindings.  Many  contain  auto- 
graphs of  celebrated  persons  ;  among  these  are  Lord  Bacon; 
Michael  Angelo  ;  Calvin  ;  Luther  ;  Melanchthon  ;  Milton  ; 
Sir  Isaac  Newton,  etc. 

The  manuscript  saloon  is,  if  possible,  more  interesting 
than  the  library.  Here  are  50,000  volumes  of  bound  manu- 
scripts, of  which  8,500  are  in  Oriental  languages  ;  7,000  de- 
tached seals  and  casts  of  seals  ;  and  upwards  of  100  ancient 
Greek,  Coptic  and  Latin  papyri.  By  a  convenient  arrange- 
ment of  glass  frames,  many  of  the  more  interesting  papers 
are  exhibited  to  the  »public.  I  mention  a  few — a  selection 
of  Anglo-Saxon  charters  from  Ethelred,  A.  D.  692  ;  the 
original  Articles  of  Liberties,  demanded  by  the  barons  of 
King  John,  which  formed  the  foundation  of  Magna  Charta, 
A.  D.  1215,  with  the  great  seal  attached  ;  Charters  of  Wil- 
liam II.  and  Henry  L,  signed  with  crosses  by  the  kings  and 
witnesses  ;  the  original  draft  of  the  will  of  Mary,  Queen  of 
Scots,  with  corrections  and  additions  in  her  hand,  and 
dated  1577  ;  a  book  wholly  in  the  hand  writing  of  James  L, 
for  the  instruction  of  his  son,  Prince  Henry  ;  diary  of  John 
Locke.  There  are  also,  in  the  handwriting  of  the  authors, 
Sterne's  Sentimental  Journey  ;  Pope's  Homer's  Illiad  ;  a 
Tragedy  by  Tasso  ;  autobiography  of  Robert  Burns  ;  and 
the  concluding  chapter  of  Lord  Macauley's  History  of  Eng- 
land. Also  the  original  Articles  of  Agreement  for  the  sale 
of  the  copyright  of  Paradise  Lost,  in  1667,  with  the  signa- 
ture and  seal  of  John  Milton  ;  and  a  sketch  plan  of  the 
battle  of  Aboukir,  by  Lord  Nelson. 

There  are  frames  containing  autographs  of  English  sover- 
eigns from  Edward  IV.  to  George  III.,  as  well  as  of  most  of 
the  sovereigns  of  Europe,  during  the  same  period.  Also  a 


INTERESTING    MANUSCRIPTS.  267 

large  number  of  autograph  letters  of  eminent  men,  among 
them,  Luther,  Calvin,  Erasmus  ;  Wolsey,  Cranmer,  More, 
Knox  ;  Raleigh,  Sydney,  Bacon  ;  Hampden,  Clarendon, 
Montrose  ;  Washington,  Franklin,  Penn  ;  Fox,  Pitt,  Burke; 
Dryden,  Swift,  Prior,  Addison  ;  Michael  Angelo,  Durer, 
Rubens,  Rembrandt,  Van  Dyck  ;  Ariosto,  Galileo,  Sir  Isaac 
Newton ;  Moliere,  Racine,  Voltaire  ;  Handel,  Haydn, 
Beethoven,  Meyerbeer,  Mendelssohn,  Shubert,  Spohr,  Ros- 
sini ;  Marlborough,  Wellington,  Nelson.  The  letter  of  Nel- 
son was  written  to  Lady  Hamilton  on  the  eve  of  the  battle 
of  Trafalgar  and  found  open  and  unfinished  at  his  death. 

There  are  manuscripts  in  Oriental  languages,  written  on 
paper,  palm  and  other  leaves,  bark,  metal  and  ivory.  Some* 
of  the  Arabic  and  Persian  manuscripts  are  finely  executed 
and  richly  ornamented.  A  copy  of  the  Codex  Alexandrinus, 
being  the  Greek  text  of  the  Scriptures  in  uncial  letters—on 
vellum,  of  the  fifth  century;  presented  to  Charles  I.  by  CyriL 
Patriarch  of  Constantinople.  The  books  of  Genesis  and 
Exodus  in  the  Peshito  or  Syriac  version,  written  in  the  year 
464,  the  earliest  dated  manuscript  extant  of  any  entire  books 
of  the  Scriptures.  The  Bible  in  the  Vulgate  Latin,  as  re- 
vised by  order  of  Charlemagne,  written  about  A.  D.  840, 
and  richly  ornamented.  The  original  Bull  of  Pope  Leo  X., 
conferring  on  Henry  III.  the  title  of  Defender  of  the  Faith, 
A.  D.  1521. 

I  have  mentioned  a  very  few  of  the  things  which  interest- 
ed me  in  the  library  and  manuscript  rooms.  A  long  life- 
time might  be  spent  in  gaining  but  an  imperfect  knowledge 
of  the  treasures  of  literature  and  art  which  they  contain. 
And  yet  on  their  surface  they  furnish  to  the  busy  traveler, 
who  has  but  a  few  hours  to  spare,  a  mental  feast,  the  memo- 
ry of  which  will  ever  be  recalled  with  pleasure. 

In  the  king's  library  are  arranged  a  number  of  cases  con- 
taining electrotype  fac-similes  of   the  finest  ancient  coins  in 
16 


268  ANCIENT  COINS. 

the  national  collection.  They  are  admirably  arranged, 
chronologically  in  periods,  and  by  cities  and  countries,  during 
each  period;  showing  at  a  glance  all  that  numismatic  wisdom 
has  discovered  as  to  the  dates  and  coinage  of  the  ancient 
world.  The  earliest  known  coins  are  small  ingots  of  gold, 
stamped  (700  B.  C.)  at  Lydia  in  Asia  Minor,  with  an  offi- 
cial mark  as  a  guarantee  of  weight,  making  an  appeal  to  the 
scales  in  every  business  transaction  unnecessary.  The  idea 
of  coinage  spread  rapidly  through  Greece,  the  first  rude 
coins  being  of  electrum — three  parts  of  gold  to  one  of  silver. 
The  coinage  of  silver  commenced  at  yEgina,  638  B.  C.;  the 
first  type  having  a  tortoise  in  bold  relief  on  one  side  and 
.rude  punch  marks  on  the  other  (I  have  an  obolus  of  this 
coinage  in  my  collection).  The  earliest  inscription  is  found 
ou  a  coin  of  Halicarnassus,  525  B.  C.,  and  the  first  portrait 
of  a  king,  that  of  a  Persian  monarch  on  a  coin  of  Lycia, 
400  B.  C.  It  is  said  that  in  no  other  Greek  remains  can 
the  growth,  maturity  and  decay  of  Greek  art  be  so  readily 
traced  as  in  the  coins  of  the  various  periods;  many  of  them 
as  perfect  as  when  they  left  the  dies  of  the  engraver.  The 
student  of  mythology  can  here  trace  the  conception  of  the 
Gods  and  heroes  worshiped  in  the  Greek  world,  with  their 
attributes  and  symbols.  They  also  furnish  a  complete  gal- 
lery of  the  portraits  of  rulers  from  Alexander  the  Great  to 
the  Emperor  Augustus,  as  well  as  evidence  of  the  various 
political  revolutions  of  the  times.  The  finest  coins  are  about 
400  to  336  B.  C.  The  rapid  decadence  of  Greek  art  from 
280  B.  C.  to  the  Ghristian  era  is  remarkable.  Some  of  the 
finest  coins  produced  during  the  highest  development  of 
Grecian  art,  notably  those  of  Syracuse,  are  finer  by  far  than 
anything  produced  by  the  mints  of  the  world  to-day. 

In  the  streets  near  the  museum  are  the  shops  of  the  an- 
tiquarians; and  this  morning  I  ventured  (with  a  due  sense 
of  my  own  weakness,  and  the  prayer  on  my  lips,  "  Lead  us 


ORNAMENTS    AND    GEMS.  269 

not  into  temptation")  to  look  at  the  coins.  While  some  of 
them  were  very  desirable  the  prices  demanded  were  so  very 
much  higher  than  anything  I  had  paid  in  America,  even  for 
coins  especially  imported,  that  I  was  able  in  every  case  to 
retreat  without  making  a  single  purchase.  This  disparity  in 
the  price  of  coins,  between  England  and  America,  I  cannot 
account  for. 

The  department  of  zoology  is  the  most  complete  in  the 
world,  nine  large  galleries  and  rooms  being  used  in  display- 
ing the  specimens.  On  entering  this  department  the  first 
thing  that  attracted  my  attention  was  two  large  cages  of 
"  anthropoid  apes,"  being  specimens  of  the  monkeys  which 
are  claimed  to  most  nearly  resemble  man.  Now,  I  had 
frequently  heard  of  these  wonderful  specimens  in  the  British 
museum,  claimed  by  some  to  almost,  and  by  others,  to  quite 
supply  the  "  missing  link."  An  inspection  of  them  will,  I 
think,  satisfy  any  unprejudiced  observer  that  between  the 
gorilla,  chimpanzee  or  orang  and  the  human  family  there 
is  not  only  a  "  link  "  but  a  whole  chain  missing.  My  faith 
in  the  human  race,  as  a  distinct  creation,  will  never  be 
troubled  by  references  to  the  British  museum.  I  passed 
through  the  zoological  rooms  containing  preserved  specimens 
of  every  living  thing,  and  of  species  now  extinct.  To  tell  all 
about  this  department  130  volumes,  some  of  them  finely 
illustrated,  have  been  published  by  the  museum.  I  must  be 
excused  from  attempting  to  compress  each  volume  into  half 
a  line — it  can't  be  done. 

The'  collection  of  ornaments  and  gems  is  very  attractive. 
Here  are  numerous  specimens  of  Roman,  Byzantine,  Anglo- 
Roman,  Anglo-Saxon  and  medieval  jewelry.  Gold  orna- 
ments, generally  quite  heavy,  of  the  Celtic  period  in  Great 
Britain  and  Ireland.  A  large  collection  of  ornaments  and 
gems  from  Babylonia  and  Egypt,  displaying  great  ingenuity 
and  perfection  of  workmanship.  The  finest  specimens,  how- 


270  ANTIQUITIES. 

ever,  in  this  department  are  Greek  and  Etruscan.  The 
jeweler  of  to-day  will  find  it  difficult  to  excel  in  workman- 
ship some  of  the  ornaments  worn  one,  two  or  even  three 
thousand  years  ago.  The  gems  consist  largely  of  cameos, 
and  exhibit  great  perfection,  both  in  design  and  engraving. 
The  Greek  and  Roman  series  depend  for  their  designs  mainly 
on  the  Mythology  of  the  times,  although  there  are  subjects 
from  life,  forms  of  animals,  etc.,  There  are  also  many  royal 
and  imperial  portraits,  finely  engraved  on  stones  and  seals. 
In  this  room  is  the  celebrated  vase,  deposited  by  the  Duke 
of  Portland,  and  kno\vn  as  the  "Portland  Vase."  It  was 
found  in  a  marble  sarcophagus,  near  Rome,  and  was  form- 
erly in  the  Barberini  palace.  Its  peculiarity  seems  to  be 
that  the  ground  work  of  the  vase  is  of  a  very  fine  blue  glass, 
over  which  is  a  layer  of  white  opaque  glass;  the  designs  and 
ornamentation  being  cut  in  the  white  glass.  The  scenes 
worked  on  this  vase  are  from  Roman  mythology,  and  the 
workmanship  is  said  to  be  unexcelled.  There  is  also  an 
alabaster  jar  found  on  the  site  of  the  mausoleum  at  Halicar- 
nassus  and  inscribed  "  Xerxes  the  Great  King,"  in  the  Me- 
dian, Persian,  Assyrian  and  Egyptian  languages.  In  this  room 
I  was  shown,  as  a  favor,  a  fine  collection  of  Roman  and 
English  coins — originals. 

But  the  crowning  feature  of  the  museum  is  its  unrivalled 
department  of  antiquities,  containing  interesting  remains  of 
the  earliest  oriental  nations — Egypt,  Chaldea,  Assyria, 
Babylonia,  and  the  later  empires  and  states  of  Persia, 
Greece  and  Rome.  The  Egyptian  remains  occupy  several 
large  rooms,  and  one  is  astonished  to  find  a  collection  so 
large  and  complete,  running  back  2,500  years  before  Christ, 
say  about  to  the  period  usually  assigned  to  Noah's  flood,  or 
earlier.  On  entering  the  first  Egyptian  room  my  attention 
was  called  to  the  mummy-shaped  coffin,  not  quite  complete, 
of  King  Menkara,  with  a  part  of  his  mummy.  On  opening 


EGYPTIAN    DEPATMENT.  271 

the  third  pyramid  (built  by  this  king),  this  coffin,  showing 
fine  workmanship  and  inscribed  with  his  name,  with  the 
mummy  enclosed,  was  discovered.  These  remains  are  over 
4,000  years  old;  had  rested  in  the  lofty  pyramid  more  than 
a  century  when  Abraham  and  Lot  passed  by,  on  their  way 
from  beyond  the  Euphrates  to  the  Land  of  Canaan — five 
centuries  before  the  law  was  given  to  Moses  on  Mount 
Sinai  !  It  almost  takes  away  one's  breath  to  think  of  it,  and 
George  Washington  cents,  and  spinning  wheels,  and  and- 
irons, and  shot  guns  of  our  Revolutionary  period,  become 
as  of  yesterday,  in  comparison.  There  are  coffins  and  mum- 
mies a  few  centuries  later;  and  numerous  others  representing 
the  centuries  down  to  the  Roman  period. 

There  is  a  very  large  collection  of  vases  ;  one  of  glass, 
and  of  brilliant  colors,  of  the  time  of  Joseph's  residence  in 
Egypt.  There  are  numerous  figures  of  kings  and  others, 
finely  carved  in  bronze  and  ivory,  and  personal  ornaments 
in  gold,  bronze  and  ivory,  including  many  specimens  of  the 
scarabaei,  or  sacred  beetle  ;  combs,  hairpins,  vessels  of 
earthenware  and  alabaster,  tiles  and  unburnt  bricks  of  the 
time  of  the  Jewish  oppression  by  the  Pharaohs,  bronze  axes, 
arrows  tipped  with  flint,  writing  implements,  ink  pots,  harps, 
flutes,  cymbals,  balls,  dolls,  children's  toys,  etc.,  etc. 

The  Egyptian  sculptures  and  bas-reliefs  occupy  two  long 
galleries,  with  a  central  saloon  and  vestibule.  Memphis 
and  Thebes  have  been  despoiled  of  some  of  their  most  in- 
teresting works  of  art,  exhibiting  in  detail  in  their  paintings 
and  sculptures  the  religion,  the  arts,  industries,  domestic 
habits  and  amusements  of  the  ancient  Egyptians.  The  main 
features  of  their  religion  seem  to  have  been  a  belief  in  the 
immortality  of  the  soul,  and  a  judgment  and  a  state  of  re- 
wards and  punishment  after  death.  Strange  that  the  Israel- 
ites do  not  seem  to  have  imbibed  these  ideas  during  their 
stay  in  Egypt.  Their  methods  of  war  are  very  fully  deline- 


272  ASSYRIAN    ANTIQUITIES. 

ated  by  battle  scenes  ;  the  taking  of  cities,  showing  the  de- 
vices employed,  and  the  torture  or  punishment  of  captives. 
The  industries  of  the  people,  including  flax  dressing,  spin- 
ning, weaving,  glass  blowing,  rope  making,  cabinet  making, 
stone  polishing  and  engraving,  quarrying,  brick  laying,  etc., 
etc.,  are  given  in  detail.  Hunting,  fishing,  wrestling,  ball 
playing  and  other  out-door  amusements,  and  in-door  games, 
in  which  appear  checker  boards  and  dice,  are  carved  on 
these  remains — only  think  of  it,  the  game  of  checkers  4,000 
years  old  !  In  some  of  the  hunting  scenes  I  was  surprised 
to  see  the  throwing  of  the  lasso  pictured  out.  I  had  sup- 
posed it  was  a  more  modern  device. 

There  is  on  most  of  these  remains  hieroglyphic  writing  in 
the  ancient  Egyptian  language,  and  in  this  department  is 
the  famous  Rosetta  Stone,  by  which  the  method  of  decipher- 
ing such  writing  was  discovered.  It  was  found  at  Rosetta, 
on  the  river  Nile,  in  1799,  and  contains  inscriptions  in 
Greek  and  in  two  forms  of  ancient  Egyptian.  Its  construc- 
tion was  ordered  by  priests  assembled  at  Memphis,  196  B. 
C.,  to  commemorate  the  liberality  of  the  king  in  making 
gifts  and  remitting  taxes  ;  the  Greek  inscription  showing 
that  the  decree  or  act  of  the  priests  was  to  be  inscribed  in 
the  three  languages.  With  the  fact  established  that  the  in- 
scriptions were  identical,  and  the  Greek  being  familiar,  it 
furnished  the  first  key  to  Egyptian  hieroglyphics,  and  has 
enabled  the  savants  of  Europe  to  decipher  the  most  ancient 
Egyptian  records.  The  stone  is  imperfect,  a  part  having 
been  broken  off. 

The  Assyrian  antiquities  are  principally  in  three  narrow 
rooms,  each  about  100  feet  long,  and  are  mostly  from  Nim- 
roud,  Khorsabad  and  Kongenyik  or  Nineveh.  There  are 
seals,  engraved  stones,  and  cylinders  of  hard  stone,  with  in- 
scriptipns  from  2,100  B.  C.,  to  Darius,  B.  C.  520.  There 
are  also  terra-cotta  tablets,  known  as  "  Contracts,"  relating 


THE    ELGIN  MARBLES.  273 

to  business  transactions,  etc.,  from.  1,700  B.  C.,  to  500  B.  C. 
A  beautiful  glass  vase,  with  the  name  of  Sargon,  721  B.  C. 

There  is  a  very  large  collection  of  interesting  sculptures 
and  bas-reliefs  from  the  palace  of  Sennacherib.  Besides 
giving  many  important  historical  records,  they  give  the 
wars  of  Sennacherib,  his  many  victories,  and  the  vast 
amount  of  spoil  taken.  Among  these  victories  is  that  of 
Sennacherib  over  King  Hezekiah,  of  Judea,  in  which  he 
claims  to  have  taken  great  spoil  and  treasure,  in  contradic- 
tion of  the  Bible  narrative,  which  states. that  Sennacherib's 
army  was  destroyed  by  an  angel.  There  is  an  inscription 
of  the  time  of  Tiglath-Pileser,  regarding  the  receipt  of 
tribute  from  Menahem,  King  of  Israel,  and  another  of  Shal- 
meneser,  acknowledging  receipt  of  tribute  from  Jehu,  King 
of  Israel.  Lion  hunting  and  battle  scenes  predominate  in 
the  bas-reliefs.  There  is  in  great  detail  the  capture  of  a 
burning  city,  the  bringing  in  of  the  heads  of  the  slain,  and 
the  registration,  by  scribes,  of  the  spoils  and  trophies  taken. 
Another  shows  a  city  with  walls  and  parapets,  a  battering 
ram  plied  from  within  a  movable  tower  making  a  breach. 
The  besieged  are  trying  with  grappling  irons  to  catch  the 
ram,  and  are  throwing  fire  upon  the  tower  and  its  defenders. 
The  archers  and  slingers  are  filling  the  air  with  arrows  and 
stones.  The  besieged  are  evidently  Jews,  and  a  continua- 
tion of  the  scene  shows  the  capture  of  the  city.  This  im- 
mense collection  is  only  interesting  to  the  unlearned,  like 
myself,  as  it  deals  occasionally  with  kings  or  scenes  men- 
tioned in  Bible  history. 

The  Elgin  Marbles  were  obtained  by  Lord  Elgin  while 
embassador  at  Constantinople,  1801-3,  by  firman  of  the 
Sublime  Porte,  and  were  afterwards  purchased  of  his  Lord- 
ship by  the  British  government  at  a  price,  considered  merely 
nominal,  of  $175,000.  They  are  mostly  from  the  Parthenon 
and  the  Temple  of  Wingless  Victory  at  Athens.  It  seems 


274  THE    THAMES. 

too  bad  that  Athens  should  have  been  despoiled  of  such 
treasures,  belonging  to  the  best  period  of  Greek  art,  454  to 
438  B.  C.,  the  sculptured  decorations  being  executed  under 
the  superintendence  of  the  celebrated  Phidias.  Although  so 
beautiful  in  themselves,  I  could  not  look  on  them  with  satis- 
faction, they  seemed  so  much  out  of  place  in  a  British  muse- 
um. They  should  still  adorn  the  Acropolis  at  Athens. 

And  what  shall  I  say  of  the  Lycian  room  ;  .the  Indian 
sculptures  and  remains  ;  the  Roman  and  Anglo-Roman  gal- 
leries ;  the  Grecian  and  Greco-Roman  rooms  ;  the  Mauso- 
leum room  ;  the  Archaic  department,  etc.,  etc.  ?  Only  this, 
that  I  passed  through  them,  so  full  of  what  I  had  already 
seen,  and  so  tired  of  taking  notes,  that  the  only  impression 
they  made  upon  me  was  one  of  vastness. 

The  Thames  is  one  of  the  great  thoroughfares  of  London. 
From  its  source  to  the  sea  it  is  but  TOO  miles  long,  and  is 
navigable  for  sea-going  vessels  from  London  bridge  to  the 
Nore,  a  distance  of  forty-five  miles.  Its  breadth  varies  in 
the  metropolis  from  800  to  1,400  feet,  and  the  tide  reaches 
to  fifteen  miles  above  London.  Small  passenger  steamers 
are  passing  every  few  minutes  in  either  direction  on  this 
great  thoroughfare.  I  took  passage  on  one  of  these  above 
Westminister  for  Greenwich,  and  had  a  fine  river  view  of 
the  city.  Most  of  the  buildings  seen  from  the  river  I  have 
already  described,  but  some  of  them  are  seen  to  best  advan- 
tage from  the  Thames.  This  is  especially  true  of  the  Par- 
liament House  and  Somerset' House.  St.  Paul's,  on  its  ele- 
vated position,  towers  grandly  above  the  surrounding  build- 
ings, its  high  walls  and  large  dome  giving  it  that  massive 
appearance  which  is  its  characteristic  feature.  Lambeth 
Palace,  for  six  and-a-half  centuries  the  residence  of  the 
archbishops  of  Canterbury,  St.  Thomas'  Hospital  and  the 
Albert  Embankment,  all  on  the  south  side,  are  passed  before 
reaching  Westminister  bridge.  We  stop  at  Charing  Cross 


LONDON    BRIDGES.  .  275 

pier,  leaving  which  there  is  a  fine  view  of  the  Victoria  Em- 
bankment, the  beautiful  Water  Gate,  the  only  remaining 
relic  of  York  House,  Adelphi  Terrace  and  the  Obelisk. 
Waterloo  bridge  is  of  granite,  has  nine  arches,  of  120  feet 
span,  and  cost,  with  its  approaches,  five  million  dollars.  It 
has  been  called  "  the  English  bridge  of  sighs,"  because  of 
the  number  of  suicides  from  it.  Passing  Somerset  House, 
King's  College  and  Temple  Gardens,  we  reach  Blackfriars 
bridge,  and  stop  at  St.  Paul's  Wharf  pier,  the  nearest  stop- 
ping place  to  St.  Paul's.  Southwark  Bridge  was  built  at  a 
cost  of  four  million' dollars  ;  one  of  its  arches  has  a  span  of 
400  feet.  London  Bridge  is  the  next  reached,  and  the  last 
on  the  river.  Before  1750  this  was  the  only  bridge  across 
the  Thames.  The  old  bridge  had  a  row  of  houses  on  each 
side,  forming  a  street,  which  were  not  removed  till  1757. 
The  history  of  London  Bridge  includes  many  important  and 
stirring  incidents  in  English  history.  The  present  bridge 
was  built  in  1831,  costing,  with  its  approaches,  the  large 
sum  of  seven  and-a-half  million  dollars.  It  is  more  used 
than  any  other  bridge  in  the  world  ;  over  20,000  vehicles 
and  100,000  foot  passengers  crossing  daily.  At  London 
Bridge  the  port  of  London  may  be  said  to  begin,  sea-going 
vessels  ascending  the  river  to  this  point.  We  now  pass  the 
Coal  Exchange,  Billingsgate,  the  Custom  House  and  Tower 
of  London,  and  reach  the  great  docks,  filled  with  the  ship- 
ping of  all  nations.  The  first  docks,  St.  Katharine's,  cover 
twenty-four  acres,  and  were  built  at  a  cost  of  ten  million 
dollars.  Twelve  hundred  and  fifty  buildings,  accommodat- 
ing over  ten  thousand  people,  were  demolished  to  make 
room  for  them.  London  Docks,  covering  120  acres,  cost 
the  large  sum  of  twenty  million  dollars.  The  entire  system 
of  artificial  docks  covers  900  acres,  and  over  50,000  vessels 
enter  and  leave  the  Thames  yearly.  Opposite  the  Isle  of 
Dogs  and  on  the  south  side  of  the  river  we  land  at  Green- 


276  GREENWICH. 

wich,  so   widely  celebrated  for  its  hospital  and  observatory. 

Greenwich  hospital  was  built  by  William  III.,  on  the  site 
of  an  ancient  palace,  in  which  Henry  VIII.,  Queen  Mary  and 
Queen  Elizabeth  were  born.  It  was  built  at  the  request  of 
the  Queen,  for  the  reception  of  sailors,  who  were  wounded 
at  the  battle  of  La  Hogue,  and  was  afterwards,  for  a  long 
series  of  years,  used  as  a  residence  for  naval  pensioners. 
The  buildings  are  quite  large  and  are  at  present  used  for 
picture  galleries,  Museum  of  Naval  Architecture,  Royal 
Naval  College  and  Chapel.  Having  been  built  partly  by 
Inigo  Jones  and  partly  by  Sir  Christopher  Wren,  it  will  be 
understood  that  they  possess  some  architectural  merit. 

The  picture  galleries  contain  portraits  of  all  the  noted 
admirals  of  England,  as  well  as  paintings  illustrating  the 
most  important  naval  engagements  of  the  last  three  centur- 
ies, by  the  best  English  artists.  In  one  of  the  rooms  I  found 
many  interesting  souvenirs  of  Lord  Nelson,  among  them  the 
coat  and  waistcoat  worn  by  him  when  killed  at  Trafalgar 
The  bullet  seems  to  have  entered  at  the  top  of  the  shoulder, 
a  part  of  the  epaulet  being  torn  away.  There  are  blood 
stains  from  the  wound  on  both  garments.  The  relics  of  the 
Sir  John  Franklin  Expedition,  found  on  the  icy  coasts  of 
the  far  north,  are  preserved  here,  recalling  the  earnest  and 
untiring  efforts  of  Lady  Franklin  in  behalf  of  her  lost  hus- 
band. These  sad  remains,  largely  the  personal  effects  of 
the  lost — watches,  knives,  boxes,  pieces  of  clothing,  buttons, 
etc.,  raise  again  the  question  that  has  often  occurred  to 
me — What  good  ?  The  sacrifice  of  human  life  and  the 
hardships  endured  in  polar  explorations,  have  always  Ap- 
peared to  me  as  unwise,  and  the  would-be  heroes  who  have 
perished  in  their  efforts  to  get  a  little  farther  north  than 
somebody  else,  as  deserving  no  more  sympathy  than  the 
acrobat  who  risks  life  and  limb  on  the  suspended  wire  to 
gain  the  plaudits  of  the  gaping  crowd.  I  am  heartily  in  ac- 


THE     VICTORIA     EMBANKMENT.  277 

cord  with  the  old  gentleman  who,  on  hearing  of  a  new  polar 
expedition,  testily  exclaimed,  "Why  can't  they  let  the  pole 
alone,  it's  working  all  right." 

The  Museum  of  Naval  Architecture  occupies  a  large 
number  of  rooms  and  seems  to  have  models  of  everything 
past  or  present  that  has  sailed  on  the  ocearf,  aided  in  the 
management  of  vessels,  or  dealt  death  and  destruction  to  an 
enemy  at  sea.  It  is  said  to  be  by  far  the  most  complete 
naval  museum  in  the  world.  The  former  Infirmary  of 
Greenwich  hospital  is  now  known  as  the  Dreadnaught  Mer- 
chant Seamen's  Hospital,  is  for  sailors  of  all  nationalities, 
and  is  supported  by  contributions  from  all  maritime  coun- 
tries. The  Greenwich  Observatory  is  on  a  hill  three  hun- 
dred feet  high,  and  not  far  from  the  landing.  It  is  not  open 
to  sight  seers,  but  its  grounds  afford  a  fine  view  of  the 
Thames  and  its  shipping.  From  this  observatory  our  longi- 
tude is  reckoned  and  "  Greenwich  time  "  is  here  given  to  the 
world. 

Returning,  I  landed  at  the  Victoria  Embankment.  This 
great  work  consists  of  a  solid  granite  wall,  eight  feet  thick, 
and  said  to  average  forty  feet  in  height,  extending  on  the 
north  bank  of  the  Thames  from  Blackfriars  to  Westminster 
bridge,  a  distance  of  over  a  mile  and  a  quarter.  What  was 
once  a  great  eye  sore  to  the  city — the  slimy,  sloping  bank, 
the  rotting  wharves  and  dilapidated  old  warehouses  and 
coal  sheds,  has  been  reclaimed,  and  inside  the  wall  is  a 
splendid  roadway,  one  hundred  feet  wide,  under  which  runs 
the  underground  railroad.  The  reclaimed  land  north  of  the 
roadway  is  laid  out  in  walks  and  flower  beds,  with  trees  run- 
ning the  entire  length  of  the  embankment.  It  affords  a 
much  needed  thoroughfare  from  Blackfriars  to  Westminster 
and  also  furnishes  an  attractive  pleasure  ground  in  the 
center  of  the  city.  The  cost  of  the  Embankment  was  over 
eight  million  dollars.  The  Egyptian  Obelisk,  known  as 


278  MADAME  TUSSAND'S 

Cleopatra's  Needle,  is  on  the  Embankment,  at  the  foot  of 
Salisbury  street.  It  is  a  single  stone  of  red  granite,  seventy 
feet  high  and  eight  feet  square  at  the  base.  It  was  pre- 
sented by  Mahomed  Ali,  pacha  of  Egypt,  to  the  British 
government,  in  1819,  and  after  lying  unclaimed  in  the  sand 
at  Alexandria  till  1877,  was,  by  the  liberality  of  two  private 
but  public  spirited  citizens,  removed  to  England.  .  The 
methods  employed  in  its  removal  and  in  floating  it,  its  loss 
in  the  Bay  of  Biscay  in  a  storm,  and  subsequent  recovery 
by  a  passing  vessel,  are  familiar  to  most  readers.  One  of 
the  inscriptions  on  the  Obelisk,  prepared  by  Dean  Stanley, 
gives  its  history  very  briefly,  as  follows  :  "  This  Obelisk 
was  quarried  at  Syene,  and  erected  at  On  (Heliopolis)  by 
Thothmes  III.,  about  1,500  years  B.  C.  Further  inscrip- 
tions were  added  two  centuries  later  by  Rameses  II, 
(Sesostris).  Removed  to  Alexandria,  the  royal  city  of 
Cleopatra,  it  was  erected  there  in  the  seventh  year  of 
Augustus  Caesar,  B.  C.,  twenty-five.  Transported  to  Eng- 
land and  erected  on  this  spot  the  forty-second  year  of 
Queen  Victoria,"  What  a  history  has  this  old  stone  ! 

One  of  the  most  interesting  exhibitions  in  London  is 
Madame  Tussaud's  historical  collection  and  wax  figures,  in 
an  extensive  building  on  Baker  street.  It  is  the  largest  and 
finest  collection  of  the  kind  in  the  world.  The  magnificent 
halls  are  crowded  from  morning  till  midnight  with  sight- 
seers, and  I  am  told  that  visitors,  Americans  especially,  usu- 
ally attend  Madame  Tussaud's  more  than  once.  It  is  im- 
possible to  convey  any  idea  of  the  splendor  of  the  robes  and 
dresses  worn  by  historical  characters,  ancient  and  modern. 
I  was  assured  that  at  least  twenty  of  the  more  modern  dress- 
es worn  by  ladies,  cost  from  $250  to  $2,500  each.  The  halls 
contain  many  groups  effectively  arranged.  On  entering,  the 
first  group  is  "  Pope  Pius  IX.,  lying  in  state  at  St.  Peter's;" 
among  the  figures  are  Antonelli  and  Garibaldi,  Victor  Im- 


THE    HALL    OF    KINGS.  279 

manuel  and  King  Humbert.  Quite  interesting  groups  are 
arranged  by  associating  the  shah  of  Persia,  maharaja  of 
Cashmere,  Yacoob  Khan,  Abdel  Khan,  Shere  Ali,  and  other 
eastern  princes,  with  a  large  number  of  British  generals  and 
governors  general  of  India.  The  queen,  Prince  Albert  and 
the  royal  family,  with  a  host  of  their  German  relations,  are 
quite  happily  arranged  in  groups.  The  Berlin  congress  is  repre- 
sented; also  the  lying  in  state  of  the  Emperor  Alexander 
after  his  assassination,  showing  the  various  members  of  the 
royal  family  of  Russia.  Whatever  may  have  been  the  feel- 
ing, curiosity  or  commiseration,  I  could  not  help  noticing 
the  fact  that  Henry  VIII.  and  his  six  wives,  and  Cetewayo 
and  his  wives  (I  forgot  to  count  them),  seemed  to  attract  the 
most  attention. 

In  the  magnificent  hall  of  kings  are  all  the  kings  and 
queens  of  England,  regnant  and  consort,  from  William  the 
Conquerer  to  Queen  Victoria.  The  likenesses  are  the  best 
obtainable,  and  all  are  dressed  in  the  royal  apparel  of  their 
time;  the  dress  alone  making  an  interesting  study.  The 
single  figures  are  so  numerous  as  to  make  anything  like  a 
complete  list  undesirable,  but  among  them  may  be  found 
Chaucer  and  Shakespeare;  Scott  and  Byron;  Dickens  and 
Macauley;  Davitt,  Parnell  and  Bradlaugh;  Cobbett  and 
O'Connell;  Cobden  and  Bright;  Washington,  Franklin  and 
Penn;  Lincoln  and  Garfield;  Grant  and  Andy  Johnson;  Liv- 
ingston and  Stanley;  Wellington  and  Von  Moltke;  Wycliffe, 
Luther,  Calvin,  Knox  and  Wesley;  Kean,  Siddonsand  Mac- 
ready;  Maria  Antoinette,  Mary,  Queen  of  Scotts,  and  Lady 
Jane  Gray;  Dr.  Tooth  and  Mr.  Spurgeon.  But  I  must  stop; 
add  to  these  almost  any  remarkable  person  you  think  of  and 
wind  up  with  all  the  reigning  sovereigns  of  Europe,  and  you 
may  imagine  how  interesting  the  collection  must  be.  As 
works  of  art  the  figures  are  perfect.  There  is  none  of  the 
uncomfortable  feeling  that  you  are  surrounded  by  dead  peo- 


280  THE    GOLDEN    CHAMBER. 

pie  or  that  marble  statues  have  been  dressed  up  for  the  oc- 
casion. Eevrything  seems  natural  enough  to  be  real. 

The  golden  chamber  is  devoted  to  relics  and  objects  of 
interest  connected  with  the  Napoleon  family,  and  I  was 
greatly  surprised  to  find  a  collection  so  complete  on  British 
soil.  On  entering  this  room  I  found  the  interest  seemed  to 
centre  around  two  carriages,  near  each  other,  in  the  centre 
of  the  room.  One  is  the  military  carriage  of  the  First  Na- 
poleon, in  which  he  made  the  Russian  campaign;  also  used 
by  him  as  sovereign  of  Elba,  and  captured  on  the  evening  of 
the  battle  of  Waterloo,  with  some  of  the  great  emperor's  per- 
sonal effects.  It  was  forwarded  by  the  Duke  of  Wellington 
to  the  Prince  Regent,  and  by  him  sold  for  $13,000,  under 
guarantee  that  it  should  always  remain  on  exhibition  in 
England.  The  other  is  the  military  carriage  used  during  the 
Franco-German  war  by  the  Emperor  Napoleon  III.,  and  in 
which  he  was  driven  through  the  Prussian  lines  on  his  way 
as  a  prisoner  of  war  to  Germany,  after  the  surrender  at 
Sedan,  September  2,  1870.  The  carriages  attracted  a  con- 
stant crowd  of  visitors.  Everybody  seemed  to  want  to  touch 
them,  and  occasionally  some  one  would  be  invited  to  enter 
and  examine  the  inside.  The  principles  on  which  the  selec- 
tions for  this  honor  were  made  puzzled  me.  I  solved  the 
problem  by  quietly  slipping  into  the  hand  of  the  attendant 
in  charge,  a  silver  coin,  which  said  hand  opened  and  shut  as 
if  used  to  such  transactions.  The  carriage  doors  opened 
and  I  was  invited  to  enter,  very  much  to  the  surprise  of 
some  who  were  not  allowed  to  follow  my  example. 

In  this  room  is  the  camp  bedstead  used  by  Napoleon  dur- 
ing his  seven  years  imprisonment  at  St.  Helena,  with  the 
mattresses  and  pillow  on  which  he  died,  and  on  which  lies 
the  cloak  which  he  wrore  at  the  battle  of  Marengo.  The 
coronation  robes  of  Napoleon  and  Josephine;  the  train  of 
the  latter  was  borne  by  four  queens.  The  favorite  drawing 


THE    CHAMBER    OF    HORRORS.  281 

room  and  garden  chair  used  by  Napoleon  at  St.  Helena. 
The  sword  worn  by  Napoleon  in  his  campaign  in  Egypt. 
The  flag  of  Elba,  presented  by  Napoleon  to  the  national 
guards  at  Elba,  and  used  by  him  on  his  return  to  France  to 
rally  his  old  soildiers  around  him.  It  was  captured  at  Water- 
loo, and  there  are  three  French  eagles  exhibited  in  this  room 
taken  at  that  battle.  The  atlas  used  by  Napoleon,  in  which 
are  plans  of  most  of  his  battles  sketched  by  his  own  hand. 
The  cradle  of  the  son  of  Napoleon,  the  young  King  of  Rome, 
of  great  beauty,  made  by  Jacob  of  Paris,  at  a  cost  of  $2,500. 
There  is  also  a  fine  collection  of  portraits,  by  the  best  French 
painters,  of  the  various  members  of  the  Napoleon  family, 
and  of  the  marshals  of  the  first  Napoleon,  and  also  wax  fig- 
ures of  most  of  them.  There  are  many  mementoes  of  Na- 
poleon, only  a  few  of  which  I  noted  down — among  them  his 
small  medicine  chest,  a  toilet  case  presented  to  him  by  Maria 
Louisa  on  his  leaving  Paris  for  Russia,  his  coffee  cup,  table 
knife,  spoon,  cameo  ring,  etc.,  etc. 

There  are  also  in  this  room  a  number  of  relics  of  a  miscel- 
laneous character,  of  which  I  mention  a  few.  The  reading 
chair  of  Voltaire  ;  snuff  box  of  James  II.  ;  shoe  of  Pope 
Pius  VI.  ;  shirt  of  Henry  IV.,  of  France,  worn  by  him 
when  stabbed  by  Ravaillac  in  1610,  and  showing  the  blood 
stains  ;  coat  worn  by  Nelson  at  the  battle  of  the  Nile  ;  coat 
and  vest  of  Duke  of  Wellington  ;  ribbon  of  legion  of  honor 
worn  by  Louis  Phillippe.  There  is  also  a  coronation  robe 
worn  by  George  IV.  in  the  coronation  procession  to  West- 
minster Abbey,  and  borne  by  nine  eldest  sons  of  peers  ;  a 
purple  or  imperial  robe  worn  by  his  majesty  on  his  return 
from  the  abbey,  and  one  used  by  the  same  monarch  at  the 
opening  of  parliament.  These  three  robes  contain  567  feet 
of  velvet  and  embroidery,  and  with  the  ermine  linings  cost 
the  enormous  sum  of  $90,000! 

The  chamber  of  horrors  is  a  separate  room  with  additional 


282  TEMPERANCE     IN    ENGLAND. 

fee  for  admission.  It  contains  wax  figures  of  over  fifty  des- 
peradoes and  criminals.  Here  are  Orsini,  Fieschi,  and 
Traupman  ;  Hare,  Burke  and  Oxford  ;  Marat  and  Robes- 
pierre. In  this  room  is  the  key  to  the  dungeon  of  the  bas- 
tille ;  a  gallows  on  which  several  noted  criminals  were  ex- 
ecuted ;  and  what  is  claimed  by  the  Tussauds  to  be  "  the 
most  interesting  relic  in  the  world  " — the  original  knife  and 
lunette,  being  the  identical  instrument  used  during  the  first 
French  revolution  and  that  decapitated  over  22,000  persons, 
among  them  Louis  XVI.,  Marie  Antoinette,  Madam  Eliza- 
beth, the  Duke  of  Orleans  and  Robespierre,  shedding  the 
best  and  worst  blood  of  France.  I  will  touch  lightly  on  the 
chamber  of  horrors,  but  will  do  it  the  justice  to  say  that  its 
inspection  is  not  calculated  to  make  crime  attractive. 

The  temperance  reform  seems  to  make  slow  progress  in 
England.  There  are,  of  course,  temperance  societies,  a  good 
temperance  literature  is  being  circulated,  and  I  have  no 
doubt  there  is  a  growing  temperance  sentiment,  but  much 
remains  to  be  done.  Until  the  English  churches  adopt  a 
higher  standard,  there  is  not  much  hope  of  any  great  prog- 
ress in  the  direction  of  total  abstinence.  To  illustrate — an 
American  Methodist  minister,  a  member  of  the  ecumenical 
conference,  preached  Sunday  morning,  September  nth, 
in  one  of  the  leading  Methodist  churches  of  London,  and 
was  offered  wine  in  the  vestry  room  of  the  church,  by 
the  official  brother  in  charge,  before  going  into  the  pulpit. 

He  was  most  hospitably  entertained  during  his  stay  in 
London  in  the  house  of  a  wealthy  Methodist,  superintend- 
ant  of  the  Sabbath  school,  and  circuit  steward,  and  a 
man  regarded  as  eminently  pious  in  the  community.  Beer 
and  three  kinds  of  wine  were  on  the  table  and  used  by 
host  and  hostess.  Every  evening  this  brother  would  have 
his  hot  toddy  prepared  for  him  by  his  religious  wife. 
Other  delegates  found  the  same  state  of  affairs  in  the 


ENGLISH    BARMAIDS.  283 

houses  of  English  Methodists  where  they  were  entertained. 
The  ecumenical  conference,  if  it  has  done  nothing  else, 
has  given  the  American  delegates  an  opportunity  to  show 
their  English  brethren,  that  in  America  we  a.re  far  in  ad- 
vance of  them  on  this  question  of  temperance.  It  is,  no 
doubt,  true  that  very  many  of  the  ministers  and  laymen, 
both  preach  and  practise  total  abstinence,  and  we  ca»- 
not  doubt  that  as  in  America,  the  Methodist  church  is 
in  the  front  rank  in  all  reforms.  It  is  this  last  fact,  that 
makes  it  evident  that  the  English  churches  have  got  to 
purify  themselves  very  much  before  they  can  hope  for  a 
temperance  revival  in  that  country. 

The  English  barmaid  is  found  in  all  drinking  establish- 
ments, from  the  gilded  saloon  to  the  lowest  gin-shop.  They 
are  generally  young  and  seem  to  be  selected  for  their  good 
looks.  I  have  entered  more  than  a  score  of  places  where 
liquor  is  sold.  By  making  some  enquiry,  or  looking  around 
as  if  expecting  to  find  some  one,  I  have  been  able  to  take  in 
the  place  and  its  surroundings,  and  retreat  without  giving 
offense.  Among  the  middle  and  lower  classes  the  women 
are  to  be  found  drinking  with  the  men — and  why  not  ?  If 
it  is  good  for  the  husband,  why  not  for  the  wife  ?  If  the 
young  men  may  indulge  in  strong  drink,  why  not  the  young 
women  ?  The  German  who  goes  to  the  beer  garden  with  his 
wife  and  children  may  consistently  and  honestly  claim  that 
he  thinks  beer  a  good  thing.  Americans  who  steal  away  be- 
hind a  screen  to  drink,  who  would  be  shocked  beyond  meas- 
ure to  see  their  wives,  children  or  sweethearts  step  up  to  the 
bar  with  them,  proclaim  to  the  world  that  when  they  call  the 
use  of  intoxicating  liquors  harmless  and  all  right,  they  delib- 
erately lie  about  it, 

In  London  taxes  are  not  derived  mainly  from  real  estate. 
The  man  who  keeps  a  carriage  pays  ten  dollars  tax  for  the 
privilege,  and  if  he  has  his  armorial  bearings  on  the  panels 
17 


284  TAXATION. 

the  tax  is  just  doubled.  For  each  coachman  and  footman  a 
tax  of  four  dollars  is  paid.  Cabs,  omnibuses,  railroads  and 
steamboats  are  taxed,  and  the  markets  afford  a  handsome 
revenue;  indeed,  almost  everything  that  enjoys  a  corporate 
privilege  pays  for  it.  A  gentleman  who  has  made  some  fig- 
ures for  me  assures  me  that  the  tax  on  real  estate  in  London 
would  not  amount  to  the  half  of  one  per  cent,  on  the  valua- 
tion. But  then  for  the  purpose  of  taxation  the  estimated 
rental  and  not  the  valuation  is  the  basis;  in  other  words  real 
estate  is  taxed  according  to  the  income  which  might  be  de- 
rived from  it.  Compare  this  with  the  system  of  taxation  in 
America,  by  which  one  may  pay  on  a  few  acres  of  land,  not 
worth  a  hundred  dollars  a  );ear  for  farming  purposes,  as 
much  tax  as  on  four  stores  renting  for  $3,000,  and  largely 
more  tax  than  the  owners  of  mortgages  paying  more  interest 
than  the  rental  of  the  stores.  It  may  be  that  I  write  feelingly 
on  this  subject,  but  after  learning  how  taxes  are  assessed  in 
Europe,  the  American  method,  as  practiced  in  the  west,  looks 
like  legalized  robbery. 

In  Paris  a  ragged  and  dirty  person  appearing  on  the  street 
would  be  arrested  by  the  police,  and  begging  is1  strictly  pro- 
hibited. The  owners  of  real  estate  must  erect  such  build- 
ings as  will  correspond  with  the  general  architecture  of  the 
street  or  square,  to  be  determined  for  them  by  government 
officials.  The  owners  or  occupants  of  buildings  are  com- 
pelled to  keep  them  well  painted,  and  to  clean  the  pave- 
ments and  windows.  In  London  there  is  larger  liberty,  every 
person  enjoying  the  privilege  of  being  as  untidy  and  outre  in 
person  or  premises  as  he  may  desire.  A  London  shop  keep- 
er, compelled  to  wash  his  windows  at  the  pleasure  of  the 
police,  would  appeal  to  Magna  Charta,  and  cause  a  revolu- 
tion, while  to  treat  rags  and  dirt  as  a  crime  would  rouse  to 
frenzy  the  bronze  lions  in  Trafalgar  square. 

Barbers  are  about  the  same  the  world  over.      I  entered  a 


LEAVING    LONDON.  285. 

shop  in  the  Strand  and  was  quickly  in  the  hands  of  an 
English  "  hoperator."  I  missed  the  easy  American  chair, 
but  had  my  hair  cut  and  "  singed,"  head  shampooed  and  then 
brushed  by  machinery,  followed  by  a  warm  bath.  Because 
I  did  not  want  my  hair  dyed,  did  not  purchase  a  bottle  of 
hair  restorer  and  had  no  corns  to  be  extracted,  I  left  the  pro- 
prietor of  the  concern  in  a  melancholy  frame  of  mind,  for 
which  he  made  me  feel  as  if  I  were  somehow  responsible.  I 
feel  bad  about  it  yet.  It  seems  just  as  if  I  ought  to  go  back 
and  make  it  right  with  him  in  some  way,  though  I  can't 
hardly  make  out  how  I  have  injured  him;  but  then,  as  I  have 
said,  barbers  are  the  same  the  world  over. 

In  the  poorer  parts  of  the  city  street  fights  are  very  com- 
mon and  excite  but  little  notice.  You  see  a  small  crowd 
and  know  that  something  of  interest  is  occurring  inside,  but 
the  police  regard  it  with  comparative  indifference.  It  is  re- 
garded by  the  lower  orders  that  about  the  best  way  to  settle 
a  quarrel  is  to  fight  it  out.  There  is  no  noise,  no  profane 
war  of  words,  it  is  strictly  "business."  The  corner  loafers 
who  meet  to  chew  tobacco,  talk  politics,  stare  at  ladies  as 
they  pass  by  and  make  vulgar  remarks  about  them,  I  do  not 
find.  It  is  not  impossible  that  persons  of  this  class  exist  in 
London,  but  they  have  the  good  taste  not  to  exhibit  them- 
selves in  the  streets. 

I  left  London  regretfully.  Its  streets  and  scenes  had  be- 
come familiar,  and  although  I  had  worked  hard  and  visited 
the  principal  places  of  interest,  there  was  still  much  to  be 
seen.  In  the  time  devoted  to  London  I  might  have  visited 
most  places  of  interest  in  England — but  where  could  I  find 
place's  recalling  so  vividly  the  history  of  the  nation  as  the 
Tower  and  Westminster  Abbey;  where  nobler  buildings  than 
the  Parliament  Houses  and  St.  Paul's;  finer  modern  parks 
than  at  the  West  End,  or  a  nobler  park  and  castle  of  the 
olden  time  than  Windsor.  The  treasures  of  antiquity  and 


286  LONDON    TO    LIVERPOOL. 

of  art,  as  exhibited  at  the  British  museum,  South  Kensing- 
ton and  the  national  gallery,  cannot  be  found  elsewhere  in 
England,  or  in  the  world.  I  have  omitted  scores  of  places 
which  I  hunted  up,  interesting  from  their  association  with 
the  greatest  names  in  English  literature,  for  most  of  England's 
great  writers  have  at  some  period  resided  in  London.  Even 
the  names  of  the  streets  were  ever  bringing  to  mind  forgotten 
incidents  in  history  or  in  fiction.  London  is  a  world  in 
itself.  Only  think  of  it,  a  city  with  a  larger  population  than 
the  six  New  England  States.  It  contains  more  wealth,  more 
poverty,  more  luxury,  more  wretchedness,  more  honesty, 
more  crime;  indeed,  more  that  is  good  and  more  that  is  bad 
than  may  be  found  in  any  other  twelve  miles  square  on  the 
face  of  the  globe.  The  railroads  and  the  national  debts  of 
the  world  are  largely  owned  heie,  and  never  in  the  world's 
history  was  there  such  an  accumulation  of  wealth;  but 
mingled  with  this  wealth  is  more  of  abject  poverty,  squalor, 
wretchedness  and  crime  than  was  ever  concentrated  in  any 
city.  It  is  a  wonderful  problem  as  to  what  the  outcome  will 
be  from  the  intimate  association  of  such  elements,  and  it 
frequently  occurred  to  me  that  while  this  condition  remains 
the  people  of  England  might  well  be  excused  from  sending 
missionaries  to  foreign  lands. 

Taking  the  early  train  on  the  Midland,  by  way  of  Brad- 
ford, Leicester,  Derby,  Stockport  and  Manchester,  passing 
through  some  of  the  finest  agricultural  and  richest  manufact- 
uring districts,  I  reached  Liverpool  in  five  hours — crossed 
central  England  between  breakfast  and  dinner.  Wagner 
dining  room  cars  are  of  no  use  in  such  a  small  country,  you 
can  go  anywhere  between  meals.  As  to  Pullman  sleeping 
cars,  the  deliberate  Briton,  after  undressing  and  again  mak- 
ing his  toilet,  would  find  no  time  for  dozing  on  an  express 
train,  unless  by  a  special  arrangement  he  took  the  little  island 
lengthwise. 


LIVERPOOL.  287 

Liverpool  is  one  of  the  great  commercial  cities  of  the 
world,  but  sombre  and  uninteresting  in  appearance.  It  was 
on  my  arrival  dressed  in  its  gayest  holiday  attire,  but  through 
the  gaudy  decorations  one  could  discover  the  plainness  and 
dullness  of  the  place.  A  complete  circuit  of.  the  principal 
streets  failed  to  discover  a  store  of  the  first  class  in  any  line 
of  business.  As  I  said,  the  city  was  in  holiday  attire,  and  as 
well,  loyalty  and  patriotism  at  the  boiling  point.  Miles  of 
decorations,  some  of  them  quite  elaborate  and  expensive, 
and  banners  and  mottoes  by  the  thousand,  with  crowds  of 
people  thronging  the  streets,  indicated  a  great  occasion.  And 
was  not  his  royal  highness,  the  Prince  of  Wales,  and  her 
royal  highness,  the  Princess  of  Wales,  in  Liverpool  to  form- 
ally open  some  new  docks,  and  did  not  the  whole  city  turn 
out  to  do  them  honor!  And  here  let  me  correct  an  impres- 
sion which  I  had  entertained,  and  which  is,  I  think,  common 
in  America,  that  the  prince  is  not  popular  in  England.  The 
reverse  of  this  is  true;  he  is  regarded  as  a. good  husband  and 
father,  living  in  plain  style,  and  appearing  much  in  public  to 
interest  himself  in  everything  that  pertains  to  the  welfare  of 
his  future  subjects.  I  think  he  is  quite  as  popular  with  the 
masses  as  his  mother,  the  queen,  who  really  seems  to  be 
more  respected  than  loved  by  her  people. 

It  was  not  yet  noon  and  I  went  at  once  to  the  docks,  and 
there  ascertained  that  the  boat  for  Belfast  did  not  leave  till 
midnight,  being  detained  by  the  tide.  On  inquiring  I 
found  that  the  daily  rising  of  the  tide  is  never  less  than 
twenty  feet,  the  spring  tide  reaching  to  thirty  feet  and  over. 
Vessels  can  leave  the  docks  only  at  high  tide,  so  that  the 
time  of  departure  of  the  cross  channel  steamers  is  changed 
every  day  to  correspond  with  high  water.  The  necessity 
for  this  arrangement  was  explained  to  me  in  this  way — the 
docks,  which  look  immensely  strong,  have  large  basins  in 
front  and  are  connected  with  them  by  gates  operated  by 


288  PUBLIC    BUILDINGS. 

steam  power  and  open  only  at  high  water.  In  this  way  the 
water  inside  the  docks  is  kept  always  at  the  same  level  and 
is  not  affected  by  the  rising  or  falling  of  the  tide.  But  for 
this  arrangement  the  Mersey  could  not  afford  anchorage  for 
all  the  vessels  now  in  port,  and  if  it  could  they  must  lay  out 
in  the  stream  to  be  loaded  and  unloaded  by  lighters.  Now 
all  vessels  are  floated  into  or  out  of  these  granite  walls  at 
high  tide.  I  have  never  seen  any  masonry  so  massive  and 
apparently  substantial  as  these  docks,  and  when  one  thinks 
of  the  weight  of  water,  twenty  to  thirty  feet  deep,  which 
they  retain  within,  and  the  rushing  tide  of  the  Mersey  out- 
side, it  will  be  seen  that  wonderful  strength  is  necessary 
to  maintain  them  in  position.  The  docks,  numbering  about 
forty,  extend  along  the  river  for  six  miles  and  furnish  over 
thirty  miles  of  quays.  In  them  may  be  found  the  flags  of 
all  nations,  and  yet  although  about  a  third  of  the  immense 
trade  of  Liverpool  is  with  the  United  States,  the  American 
flag  is  comparatively  scarce.  By  a  little  more  "  protection  " 
to  American  ship  builders  it  might  possibly  be  got  rid  of  al- 
together. It  could  still  be  exhibited  to  the  curious  at  the 
American  consulates  and  in  European  museums. 

Liverpool  has  some  fine  and  substantial  public  buildings, 
among  them  the  Assize  Courts,  Custom  House,  Exchange 
and  Town  Hall.  Its  finest  building,  and  next  to  the  Par- 
liament houses,  the  finest  public  building  in  Great  Britain, 
is  St.  George's  Hall.  Its  eastern  front  is  over  four  hundred 
feet  long,  and  has  fifteen  beautiful  and  massive  Corinthian 
columns  nearly  fifty  feet  high.  Its  great  hall  is  about  eighty 
by  170  feet,  and  its  organ  is  claimed  to  be  the  largest  and  finest 
in  the  world.  I  saw  the  finest  organ  in  the  world  in  Boston 
nearly  twenty  years  ago.  It  is  numerous  in  Europe,  indeed 
I  found  it  in  most  of  the  large  cities  I  visited  on  the  conti- 
nent, again  at  the  Crystal  Palace  and  Albert  Hall  in  Lon- 
don, and  meet  it  here  in  Liverpool.  It  is  as  ubiquitous  as 


STREETS.  289 

Washington's  body  servant  and  nurse.  Every  American 
knows  which  is  the  "only  greatest  show  on  earth,"  or  can 
find  out  by  inquiring  of  P.  T.  Barnum,  but  which  is  the 
"  only  finest  "  organ  is  not  so  easily  determined.  I  can  only 
say  that  the  organ  at  Lucerne,  with  mellow  bass  notes  and 
jnarvelous  vox  Jnimana  stop,  afforded  me  more  pleasure  than 
any  organ  I  have  heard  elsewhere. 

I  remained  in  the  streets  of  Liverpool  till  about  ten 
o'clock,  seeing  more  drunkenness,  more  street  walking, 
more  of  poverty  and  hunger,  presented  too  in  their  most 
offensive  forms,  than  in  the  streets  of  any  city  I  have  been 
in.  Other  cities  may  be  worse  in  these  respects,  but  they 
do  not  exhibit  it  in  public  so  boldly.  I  was  especially  sur- 
prised to  see  so  many  intoxicated  women.  Numbers  of 
them,  comfortably  dressed,  and  accompanied  by  men  who 
seemed  to  be  their  husbands,  were  staggering  through  the 
streets,  the  husband  as  intoxicated  as  the  wife.  About  ten 
o'clock  I  started  for  the  boat,  distant  over  two  miles,  and 
most  of  the  way  through  a  part  of  the  city  lined  with  gin 
shops,  ending  by  a  walk  of  half  a  mile  beside  the  dead  wall 
that  encloses  the  docks.  It  was  a  foolish  thing  to  do  at 
that  time  of  night  and  alone  in  such  a  place,  but  it  gave  me 
an  opportunity  of  seeing  how  terribly  depraved  a  great 
commercial  city  and  port  of  half  a  million  inhabitants  can  be. 


290 


> 


CHAPTER  XV. 

IRELAND. 

Ireland— The  Jaunting  Car— Belfast— Dromore— Anticipations  and  Disappoint- 
ment-The  Old  Cathedral— Grave  by  the  Laggan— Statistics- An  Excursion 
— Downpatrick—  Newcastle  —  Rostrevor— Newry  —  Drogheda— The  River 
Boyne— Dublin— Its  People— Public  Buildings— The  Castle— Churches— 
Glasnevin — Kingston — Athlone,  etc. — Condition  of  the  Country — Tenant 
Farmers — Land  League— The  Irish  People — Notes  by  the  Way,  etc. 

The  steamer  from  Liverpool  for  Belfast  had  but  few  pas- 
sengers, and  the  sea  being  smooth  I  had  a  good  night's  rest. 
When  I  went  on  deck  in  the  morning  we  were  passing  the 
Isle  of  Man,  and  soon  the  rocky  northern  coast  of  Ireland, 
with  its  verdant  hills  and  slopes,  came  in  sight.  It  was  about 
eleven  o'clock  when  we  entered  the  harbor  of  Belfast  and 
as  the  boat  neared  Donegal  Quay  I  recognized  my  sur- 
roundings. As  I  touched  Irish  soil  my  eyes  rested  on  the 
familiar  jaunting  car.  I  hailed  the  driver  and  was  soon 
rattling  over  a  rough  cobble  stone  pavement.  The  jaunting 
car  is  an  Irish  institution,  and  has  a  peculiar  rollicking, 
dare-devil  look — a  sort  of  Irish  joke  on  wheels.  When  seated 
on  it  you  feel  secure  enough,  but  when  it  passes  you  at  a  rapid 
pace  you  expect  every  minute  to  see  the  passengers  thrown 
off.  It  has  neither  back,  sides,  nor  cover.  There  is  a  small 
seat  for  the  driver  in  front,  and  the  passengers  sit  back  to 
back,  their  seats  being  over  and  parallel  with  the  wheels, 
which  are  quite  small.  From  the  seat  hangs  a  footboard, 
and  when  there  is  but  one  passenger  the  driver  sits  on  the 
opposite  side  to  balance  the  car.  On  the  smooth  country 
roads,  I  know  of  no  pleasanter  conveyance  than  the  jaunt- 
ing car,  but  when  driven  rapidly  over  a  rough  pavement  the 


BELFAST.  291 

smallness  of  the  wheels  causes  it  to  jolt  fearfully.  In  fact 
it  seemed  as  if  my  teeth  would  be  loose  when  I  reached  the 
hotel. 

Belfast  is  the  seat  of  the  linen  trade,  and  the  principal 
manufacturing  town  in  Ireland.  In  1841  its  population  was 
64,000,  now  207,000,  and  few  places  exhibit  signs  of  more 
substantial  growth.  This  increase  of  population  is  wonderful 
when  we  consider  that  since  1841  the  population  of  Ireland 
has  decreased  about  three  millions,  being  now  a  little  over 
five  millions.  It  shows  what  manufacturing  enterprises  can 
do  even  for  Ireland.  The  population  is  made  up  largely  of 
what  are  known  as  Scotch-Irish,  and  they  do  not  carry  their 
nationality  in  their  faces.  Indeed,  one  will  recognize  more 
people  in  the  streets  of  New  York  as  of  unmistakably  Hi- 
bernian origin  than  in  Belfast.  The  Scottish  traits  are  pre- 
dominant, both  men  and  women  being  large  boned  and  not 
remarkable  for  their  good  looks — especially  the  women  ; 
but  they  strike  one  as  honest,  hardy  and  self-reliant.  I  have 
not  been  able  to  get  the  figures  of  the  recent  census,  but  in 
1871,  of  places  of  worship,  the  Presbyterians  had  fourteen, 
Episcopalians  seven,  Methodists  five,  Roman  Catholics  three, 
Unitarians  three,  besides  nearly  a  score  of  chapels  for  off- 
shoots of  these  and  for  minor  sects. 

Belfast  has  the  substantial  look  of  Glasgow,  as  well  in  its 
stores  and  residences  as  in  its  large  manufacturing  estab- 
lishments. The  streets  are  wide,  well  paved,  and  clean. 
Of  flax  mills  alone  there  are  about  a  hundred,  with  more 
than  a  million  spindles  in  operation.  The  public  buildings 
compare  favorably  with  the  provincial  cities  of  Europe.  The 
Presbyterian  College,  Queen's  College,  Methodist  College, 
and  Royal  Academical  Institution  are  fine  buildings.  The 
Custom  Houre,  Post  Office,  Commercial  Buildings  and  Linen 
Hall  are  substantial  buildings  but  not  showy  in  appearance. 
There  is  also  an  extensive  botanical  garden  and  a  fine 


292  ANTICIPATIONS    AND  DISAPPOINTMENT. 

museum.  The  latter  was  one  of  the  first  places  I  visited, 
and  it  afforded  me  great  pleasure  to  recognize  the  Irish 
antiquities,  immense  deers'  horns,  and  dilapidated  Egyptian 
mummies  that  excited  my  wonder  when  a  small  boy.  Not- 
withstanding its  great  growth,  the  city  having  more  than 
doubled  its  population  in  the  thirty-four  years  since  I  last 
saw  it,  the  changes  in  the  older  and  business  streets  are  but 
few,  the  city  having  extended  its  borders  rather  than  en- 
larged its  buildings. 

Dromore  is  sixteen  miles  from  Belfast  and  was  the  home 
of  my  childhood.  For  over  twenty  years  I  had  desired  to 
see  it  again,  and  as  the  memories  became  more  indistinct 
the  desire  increased.  To  visit  the  places  where  when  a  boy  I 
had  gathered  primroses  and  violets,  picked  blackberries, 
went  in  swimming,  and  played  base  ball  and  tag,  had  been 
a  passion  with  me  for  years,  and  as  the  train  neared  the  old 
home,  no  wonder  if  I  became  excited.  I  had  arranged  it 
that  I  should  arrive  late  on  Saturday  afternoon,  and,  as  a 
stranger,  take  in  the  familiar  scenes  to  my  heart's  content 
before  surprising  my  old  companions  by  introducing  myself. 
The  first  place  I  visited  was  a  modest  two-story  building, 
arranged  in  the  European  style  as  a  store  and  dwelling,  and 
where  most  of  my  early  years  were  spent.  I  was  delighted  ; 
it  did  not  seem  changed  in  the  least,  and  scenes  and  inci- 
dents of  my  boyhood  days  were  vividly  brought  to  mind. 
I  next  visited  the  churchyard,  where  I  remained  till  late,  by 
a  neglected  grave,  recalling  the  sacred  memories  it  suggested. 
My  first  disappointment  was  on  Sunday  morning,  when,  to 
my  surprise,  I  found  the  old  stone  church  had  been  replaced 
by  a  new  brick  one  ;  I  had  wanted  so  much  to  sit  in  the  old 
pew  by  the  middle  window  again,  and  at  Sunday  school 
occupy  the  old  corner  seat  by  the  pulpit.  I  almost  wished 
Methodism  had  not  been  so  prosperous,  that  they  had  got 
along  somehow  with  the  old  church  till  after  my  visit.  But 


DROMORE.  293 

disappointments  had  only  begun — eagerly  and  earnestly  did 
I  scan  the  faces  of  the  congregation,  to  find  one  that  I  had 
known  familiarly  in  the  olden  time,  but  in  vain.  Of  all  that 
congregation  I  knew  not  one.  My  dreams  were  rudely 
destroyed,  no  pleasant  surprises,  no  grasping  by  the  hand  of 
old  friends.  I  began  to  realize  that  over  a  third  of  a  cen- 
tury had  passed  since  the  pleasant  April  Sunday  when  I  last 
sat  in  the  Methodist  church  in  Dromore.  I  recalled  the 
incidents  of  that  day,  the  long  visit  to  the  churchyard,  the 
leave  taking  at  the  Sabbath  school  which  more  than  aught 
else  seemed  to  break  my  heart,  and  the  solemn  prayer  meet- 
ing at  the  close  of  the  evening  service,  to  pray  that  God 
would  care  for  the  widow  and  her  son  who  were  to  leave 
the  next  morning  for  America.  The  voices  of  the  earnest 
and  God  fearing  men,  whose  prayers  on  that  occasion  have, 
I  hope,  in  some  measure  been  answered,  seemed  to  ring 
again  in  my  ears,  and  I  found  myself  living  it  all  over 
again.  ********* 

Dromore  is  a  very  old  town,  and  but  for  the  railroad  and 
some  factories  recently  established,  would  be  a  perfect  speci- 
men of  a  hundred  years  ago.  It  has  a  very  perfect  Danish 
mound,  a  castle  of  the  time  of  Elizabeth,  now  in  ruins,  and 
a  cathedral  of  the  sixteenth  century,  in  good  preservation, 
having  been  recently  repaired  and  enlarged.  But  to  me  it 
seems  changed.  The  hills  are  steeper,  the  streets  are  nar- 
rower, and  the  public  square  not  half  as  large  as  when  I  was 
a  boy.  The  "  mound  "  which  I  used  to  run  up  when  a  lad, 
is  more  nearly  perpendicular,  and  the  stream  near  by  ;  once 
a  respectable  river,  has  become  a  mere  brook,  even  the 
water  from  the  old  town  pump  seems  to  have  changed  and 
become  insipid.  And  the  friends  of  my  youth,  the  boys  I 
loved  to  play  with — where  are  they  ?  Gone  !  not  one  that 
I  knew  intimately  in  the  days  of  old,  remains.  Some  rest  in 
the  churchyard,  some  have  removed  to  other  places,  and 


294  THE  GRAVE  P,Y  THE  LAGGAN. 

quite  a  number  have  made  themselves  homes  in  foreign 
lands.  And  yet  I  am  not  friendless,  for  an  older  generation 
receives  me  with  a  hearty  welcome,  as  the  son  of  one  they 
respected  and  loved. 

A  more  picturesque  place  than  the  old  cathedral,  and  its 
surrounding  graveyard,  it  would  be  hard  to  find.  The  ca- 
thedral has  a  massive  square  tower,  meant  for  defence  if 
need  be,  and  its  top  is  turreted  and  loopholed.  In  its  vault 
is  buried  the  celebrated  Jeremy  Taylor,  who  resided  here 
as  bishop,  and  many  others  of  less  notes.  The  beautiful 
river  Laggan  flows  peacefully  by  the  side  of  the  burial 
ground,  and  one  could  desire  no  more  quiet  or  beautiful 
spot  in  which  to  rest  awaiting  a  joyful  resurrection.  Near 
the  cathedral  is  a  newly  sodded  grave,  and  a  new  and  fair 
marble  slab  bears  this  inscription  : 

"  Erected  by  Mary  and  William  Stevenson,  of  Flint, 
Michigan,  U.  S.  A.,  to  the  memory  of  a  dear  husband  and 
father,  Thomas  Stevenson,  who,  after  a  life  of  singular  piety 
and  usefulness,  died  at  Dromore,  March  23,  1846,  aged  44 
years." 

But  two  other  places  so  dear  to  me  as  that  grave  :  one  a 
small  mound  in  Glenwood,  the  other,  and  dearest  of  all,  my 
own  home.  No  honors  or  titles  could  afford  me  the  satis- 
faction I  enjoyed  during  the  days  occupied  in  caring  for 
that  far  off  grave  by  the  Laggan. 

It  was  the  sage  remark  of  a  clergyman  of  my  acquaint- 
ance, made  over  a  dish  of  strawberries  and  cream,  that  "  the 
Lord  might  possibly  have  made  a  finer  fruit  than  the  straw- 
berry, but  in  His  wisdom  he  has  not  seen  fit  to  do  so."  I 
feel  just  so  about  Ireland.  I  would  not  limit  the  Divine 
possibilities  in  the  least,  but  in  His  wisdom  He  has  not  seen 
fit  to  make  a  finer  or  more  beautiful  island.  I  have  been 
going  up  and  down  in  the  northern  half  of  it  for  about  two 
weeks,  by  railroad  and  jaunting  car,  and  also  quite  largely 


IRELAND.  295 

on  foot,  endeavoring  to  understand  better  its  history  and 
present  condition,  and  shall  try  to  give  my  readers  a  general 
idea  of  the  country  as  well  as  of  some  of  the  places  I  visited. 
Ireland  is  washed  on  three  sides  by  the  open  Atlantic,  and 
is  separated  from  Great  Britian  by  the  Irish  sea  or  channel. 
It  has  an  area  of  32,531  square  miles,  or  1,371  square  miles 
less  than  the  lower  peninsula  of  Michigan.  One  hundred 
and  ninety-six  small  islands  belong  to  it,  having  an  area  of 
246  square  miles.  Its  mountains  and  highest  hills  are  nearly 
all  on  the  coast,  the  interior  being  an  undulating  plain. 
More  than  one-fourth  of  the  entire  island  is  what  is  known 
as  bog  land,  furnishing  a  fuel  called  "  peat  "  or  "turf."  The 
bogs,  I  notice,  have  been  largely  reduced;  those  I  was 
familiar  with  in  my  youth  have  nearly  disappeared,  and  in 
their  stead  I  find  cultivated  fields.  Were  the  waters  of  the 
ocean  to  rise  500  feet,  eighty  per  cent  of  its  surface  would 
be  covered  with  water,  leaving  a  hundred  small  islands  mark- 
ing the  coast  and  enclosing  a  shallow  .inland  sea.  Ireland 
has  more  fresh  water  lakes,  in  proportion  to  its  area,  than 
any  other  country  in  Europe;  Lough  Neagh  is  the  largest, 
and  one  of  the  three  largest  in  Europe,  having  an  area  of 
158  square  miles.  The  mean  temperature  is  about  50  de- 
grees, and  the  average  rain-fall  forty  inches,  being  more  on 
the  south  and  west  coasts  and  less  on  the  north  and  east. 
There  is  a  peculiar  humidity  in  the  atmosphere  favorable  to 
vegetation,  mosses  and  grasses  being  especially  luxuriant, 
and  giving  the  country  that  beautiful  and  verdant  appear- 
ance for  which  it  is  celebrated,  as  indicated  by  the  terms 
"  Emerald  Isle,"  "  Green  Isle,"  etc.  Its  staple  industry  is 
the  manufacture  of  linens  and  poplins.  Woolens,  silks,  mus- 
lin, paper  and  glass  are  also  manufactured.  Its  iron  mines 
are  said  to  be  good  but  are  not  worked,  owing  to  scarcity  of 
coal,  which  when  found  is  much  inferior  to  the  English  and 
Scotch.  Granite,  marble,  slate,  copper  and  lead  are  found, 


.296  AN      EXCURSION. 

but  not  worked  to  any  great  extent.  There  Jare  twenty-six 
lines  of  railroad,  and  most  parts  of  the  country  are  now  ac- 
cessible by  rail.  The  fluctuation  in  population  is  wonderful. 
In  1750  the  population  was  2,372,634.  In  iSii  it  had  in- 
creased to  5,937,856,  and  continued  to  increase  till  1841, 
when  it  reached  8,175,124.  According  to  the  census  just 
completed  and  some  items  of  which  I  find  in  a  Belfast  paper, 
the  present  population  is  5,159,839,  showing  a  decrease  of 
over  three  millions  since  1841.  The  new  figures  as  to  the 
principal  religious  denominations  are,  Roman  Catholics, 
3,951,888;  English  Episcopal,  635,670;  Presbyterians,  485,- 
503;  and  Methodists,  47,669. 

I  made  an  excursion  from  Belfast,  going  south  as  far  as 
Dublin  and  west  to  Athlone.  Leaving  by  the  County  Down 
railway,  and  passing  through  a  number  of  pretty  villages, 
I  reached  Downpatrick;  supposed  to  be  the  oldest  town  in 
Ireland,  having  been  the  residence  of  early  native  kings.  A 
monastery  was  formed  here  in  432  by  St.  Patrick,  about  two 
miles  from  the  town,  in  which  St.  Patrick,  St.  Bridget  and 
St.  Columbkille  are  said  to  be  buried.  Near  the  town  is  a 
large  and  interesting  Danish  Rath.  Downpatrick  has  about 
3,500  inhabitants,  is  built  on  a  hill  overlooking  the  river 
Hoyle,  and  although  said  to  be  the  oldest,  looks  newer  and 
fresher  then  most  Irish  towns. 

Passing  Dundrum,  on  the  bay  of  the  same  name,  I  reached 
Newcastle,  a  noted  watering  place,  situated  at  the  base  of 
Slieve  Donard,  the  highest  of  the  Mourne  mountains.  It  has 
been  called  "  the  Scarborough  of  Ireland  "  on  account  of  its 
admirable  bathing  facilities,  and  is  made  up  largely,  as  such 
places  usually  are,  of  hotels  and  boarding  houses.  I  wan- 
dered along  the  beach  to  the  ancient  quay  where  were  sev- 
eral fishing  vessels,  picked  up  a  number  of  small  colored 
stones  for  which  this  beach  is  remarkable,  and  tried  to  locate 
the  spot  where,  when  a  small  boy,  I  first  tasted  salt  water 


NEWCASTLE.  297 

during  a  compulsory  bath.  Selecting  a  comfortable  looking 
hotel  on  the  beach,  I  ordered  a  fish  dinner,  and  was  met  by 
the  usual  "no  fish  to-day  "  that  greets  one  at  the  sea-side. 
But  the  mutton  chop  was  excellent  and  the  dinner  a  suc- 
cess, on  the  part  of  the  cook,  and  an  immense  success  on 
my  part;  eaten  too  by  the  open  door  of  the  dining  room  in 
full  view  of  the  ocean,  whose  incoming  tide  reached  within 
a  few  rods  of  where  I  was  sitting. 

At  Newcastle  I  took  a  public  jaunting  car  for  Rostrevor, 
distant  over  twenty  miles,  our  course  lying  along  the  coast  on 
a  strip  of  land  between  the  Mourne  mountains  and  the  sea. 
A  fresh  ocean  breeze  gave  a  bracing  effect  to  the  atmosphere, 
while  the  rugged  mountains  on  one  side  and  the  rocky  coast 
and  open  sea  on  the  other,  furnished  a  scene  to  delight  the 
eye.  Beside  me  sat  an  elderly  gentleman,  who  at  once 
opened  conversation.  It  turned  on  the  state  of  the  country 
and  we  happened  to  agree  in  our  political  views,  by  the  way 
a  wonderful  bond  of  union  in  any  country.  He  informed 
me  on  all  matters  of  local  interest,  and  when  we  arrived  at 
Kilkeel,  a  dull  country  town  of  about  1,000  inhabitants,  and 
where  he  was  to  stop,  he  gave,  me  a  pressing  invitation  to  go 
home  with  him,  pointing  to  a  fine  mansion  in  the  distance. 
On  learning  that  my  traveling  arrangements  would  not  per- 
mit me  to  accepUhis  hospitality,  he  advised  in  this  wise  : 
"  When  you  get  to  Rostrevor  don't  stop  at  the  big  hotel  at 
this  end  of  the  town.  It  is  run  by  servants,  and  a  man  with- 
out a  retinue  and  a  pile  of  baggage  gets  little  attention,  and 
you  couldn't  buy  comfort  at  any  price."  The  words  in  italics 
I  shall  never  forget,  they  are  full  of  meaning  and  describe 
so  many  places  in  all  countries.  . 

Crossing  the  Whitewater  we  pass  a  massive  square  tower, 
built  by  the  Anglo-Normans  to  protect  the  entrance  to  an 
arm  of  the  sea,  known  as  Carlingford  Lough,  and  soon  reach 
Mourne  Park,  the  residence  of  Lord  Kilmorey.  A  few  days 


298  NEWRY. 

ago  his  Lordship  brought  his  bride  to  her  lovely  Irish  home, 
and  the  floral  decorations  with  the  word  "  Welcome,  "  formed 
by  evergreens,  are  still  fresh  over  the  entrance  to  the  park. 

It  was  getting  dark  when  we  reached  Rostrevor,  and 
taking  the  advice  of  my  traveling  acquaintance  I  went  to 
Mrs.  Sangster's  hotel,  where  I  found  as  comfortable  quarters 
as  I  have  met  anywhere  on  my  travels.  Rostrevor  is  a  lovely 
watering  place  on  Carlingford  Bay,  surrounded  by  high  hills 
and  shady  groves.  Taken  all  in  all  it  is  the  prettiest  small 
town  I  have  seen  in  Ireland.  From  Rostrevor  to  Warren- 
point,  a  noted  watering  place  and  the  port  of  Newry,  is  but 
a  few  miles,  and  horse-cars,  very  American  in  appearance, 
run  between  the  two  places.  The  road  is  lined  with  fine 
residences  and  handsome  grounds,  while  Carlingford  Bay, 
here  narrowed  dofvn  and  surrounded  by  high  hills,  has  the 
appearance  of  an  inland  lake.  On  reaching  Warrenpoint  I 
find  more  stylish  residences  and  better  hotels  and  boarding 
houses  than  at  Newcastle,  although  the  latter  place  is  by  far 
the  finest  location  for  bathing  purposes.  Probably  its  rail- 
road connection  with  Newry,  but  six  miles  distant  and  from 
Newry  with  all  the  world,  may  account  for  the  growth  and 
prosperity  of  Warrenpoint. 

Newry,  on  the  Newry  River,  a  few  miles  above  Carling- 
ford Bay,  contains  a  population  of  nearly  14,000.  It  is  an 
old  town,  an  abbey  having  been  erected  here  in  the  twelfth 
century.  It  lies  in  two  counties,  the  old  town  on  the 
eastern  s^de  being  in  the  County  Down  and  on  the  side  of  a 
steep  hill,  the  streets  rising  in  terraces  one  above  the  other, 
while  the  modern  town  on  the  west  side  is  in  the  county  of 
Armagh.  Vessels  drawing  fifteen  feet  of  water  reach  Newry 
by  a  ship  canal,  larger  vessels  stop  at  Warrenpoint.  It 
seems  to  have  a  large  shipping  trade  as  well  as  mills,  manu- 
factories and  foundries,  and  the  place  has  a  busy  appear- 
ance. There  are  several  new  churches,  many  elegant  resi- 


DROGHEDA.  299 

dences,  and  few  if  any  evidences  of  extreme  poverty  in  the 
suburbs.  Newry  does  not  at  all  bear  out  Dean  Swift's 
description  of  the  place  : 

"  High  Church,  low  steeple, 
Dirty  streets  and  proud  people . " 

Dundalk,  the  next  place  of  importance,  is  a  town  of  about 
12,000  inhabitants,  and  very  much  resembles  Newry  in  busi- 
ness and  manufactures. 

Drogheda  is  about  thirty  miles  from  Dublin,  and  has  a 
population  of  about  15,000,  The  warehouses  and  docks 
present  a  busy  appearance,  and  there  are  a  number  of  tall 
chimneys  indicating  the  presence  of  manufacturing  estab- 
lishments. The  ground  rises  somewhat  abruptly  from  the 
river,  affording  fine  sites  for  private  residences  in  the  hilly 
suburbs.  Drogheda  has-been  the  scene  of  some  important 
events  in  Irish  history.  I  found  in  the  city  the  remains  of  an 
ancient  round  tower  and  near  to  it  a  church  on  the  site  of 
one  destroyed  by  Cromwell  in  the  terrible  siege  of  1649. 
Three  times  Cromwell  assaulted  the  city.  Succeeding  in 
the  third,  "by  God's  help,"  he  ordered  "  knocked  on  the 
head  "  the  officers  of  the  garrison,  and  that  none  of  them 
should  be  spared.  In  his  account  of  it  he  says  :  "  That 
night  we  put  to  the  sword  2,000  men,  and  100  of  them 
having  taken  possession  of  St.  Peter's  steeple  and  a  round 
tower  next  the  gate  called  St.  Sunday's,  I  ordered  the  steeple 
of  St.  Peter's  to  be  fired,  when  one  in  the  flames  was  heard 
to  say,  "  God  confound  me,  I  burn,  I  burn  !"  He  calls  the 
victory  "  A  great  mercy  vouchsafed  to  us,"  and  declares 
that  "  It  is  good  that  God  alone  have  all  the  glory."  And 
yet  Cromwell  died  in  his  bed,  declaring,  however,  "  I  would 
be  willing  to  live  to  be  further  serviceable  to  God  and  his 
people,"  After  the  restoration  his  remains  were  torn  from 
the  burial  place  of  the  kings  by  a  mob,  and  although 
somebody  in  England  claims  to  have  his  head,  the  resting 
18 


300  BATTLE  OF  THE  BOYNE. 

place  of  his  body  is  unknown.  In  view  of  the  horrible 
massacres  at  Drogheda  and  other  places  in  Ireland,  ordered 
by  him  and  executed  under  his  personal  direction,  it  would 
seem  unreasonable  for  any  person  holding  orthodox  views 
as  to  "  a  material  hereafter  "  to  doubt  the  whereabouts  of 
his  worser  part.  It  is  not  strange  that  with  Cromwell  as  a 
specimen  Puritan  and  reformer  the  Irish  people  should 
have  continued  to  prefer  another  religion  to  that  which  he 
professed. 

But  there  is  other  historic  ground  near  Drogheda.  Just 
above  the  city  was  fought,  July  ist,  1690,  the  battle  of  the 
Boyne,  between  the  forces  of  James  II.,  and  his  son-in-law* 
William,  Prince  of  Orange.  Like  most  important  battles, 
the  numbers  engaged  and  causes  of  defeat  are  matters  of 
dispute.  There  would  seem  to  have  been  about  30,000  men 
on  each  side,  William  having,  however,  a  great  advantage  in 
commanding  veterans  accustomed  to  war.  James,  who 
appears  to  have  been  sadly  deficient  in  determination  as  well 
as  personal  courage,  ungenerously  attributed  his  defeat  to 
the  cowardice  of  his  Irish  troops.  And  yet  several  times 
during  the  engagement  the  chances  were  in  his  favor.  He 
seems  to  have  anticipated  defeat,  and  while  the  Irish  horse 
under  Hamilton  were  making  a  noble  effort  to  retrieve  the 
day,  and  William,  to  encourage  his  troops  was  forced  to 
fight  as  if  a  private  soldier,  James  started  for  France  by  way 
of  Dublin.  Histories  of  the  battle,  and  most  guide  books, 
relate  his  encounter  with  Lady  Tyrconnell  on  his  arrival  at 
Dublin  Castle.  He  said  to  her  "  Your  countrymen,  the 
Irish  can  run  fast,  it  must  be  owned."  "  In  this,  as  in  every 
other  respect,  your  Majesty  surpasses,  for  you  have  won  the 
race,"  was  the  merited  rebuke  of  the  lady.  The  battle  of 
the  Boyne  was  decisive,  not  so  much  from  its  military  re- 
sults, as  from  the  abandonment  by  James  of  the  struggle, 
for  which  the  loss  of  this  single  battle  did  not,  by  any 


DUBLIN.  301 

means,  furnish  a  sufficient  excuse.  Although  nearly  two 
centuries  have  passed  since  James  quitted  the  field,  the  bat- 
tle of  the  Boyne  still  continues  to  be  fought  in  Ireland,  and 
each  anniversary  fanatical  bigots  try  to  stir  up  old  animos- 
ities by  arraying  Catholics  and  Protestants  against  each 
other.  Although  out  of  the  season  for  such  demonstrations, 
on  the  night  of  my  arrival  I  was  kept  awake  by  martial 
music,  the  favorite  tune  was  "  Boyne  Water,"  and  an  oc- 
casional profane  imprecation  against  the  head  of  the  Catho- 
lic Church,  indicated  the  pious  zeal  which  prompted  the 
music.  Americans  should  determinedly  oppose  the  trans- 
ferring of  this  battle  to  their  soil.  We  have,  alas  !  battles 
enough  of  our  own  to  celebrate  without  importing  the  battle 
of  the  Boyne. 

Dublin,  the  metropolis  of  Ireland,  lies  on  both  sides  of 
the  river  Liffey,  about  a  mile  above  the  point  where  it 
enters  the  Bay  of  Dublin.  It  has  a  population  of  over  three 
hundred  thousand  and  has  been  the  scene  of  many  stirring 
events  in  connection  with  Irish  history.  I  expected  to  find 
in  Dublin  the  remains  of  an  ancient  city,  where  centuries 
ago  rude  kings  held  sway,  reduced  to  a  dependency  of 
Great  Britain,  though  for  a  time  holding  a  semblance  of 
self-government  through  its  local  parliament,  and  now  a 
provincial  town  in  a  state  of  decay,  nursing  in  sorrow  and 
bitterness  the  memories  of  its  former  greatness.  I  have,  as 
a  consequence,  been  more  surprised  at  the  character  of  the 
buildings  and  beauty  of  the  city  than  any  place  I  have  yet 
visited.  Dublin,  with  its  fine  public  buildings  and  noble 
park,  its  elegant  private  residences  and  imposing  business 
streets,  is  well  fitted  to  be  the  capital'of  a  nation  and  .  the 
seat  of  government. 

In  Belfast  I  noticed  the  Scotch-Irish  element,  indicated 
by  a  peculiar  homeliness  of  person  in  both  men  and  women. 
At  Kilkeel  and  Rostrevor  the  Celtic  element  prevailed, 


302  IRISH    PARLIAMENT    HOUSE. 

especially  at  the  former  place,  where  the  true  Milesian 
beauty  of  the  women  could  not  be  hidden  by  their  some- 
times untidy  appearance.  Barefooted  and  barelegged  girls, 
with  soft  bewitching  eyes  and  luxuriant  but  unkempt  hair, 
turned  out  to  see  the  car  as  we  passed,  and  strolls  through 
the  villages  and  suburbs  showed  good  looks  to  be  the  rule 
and  tidiness  the  exception.  In  Dublin,  among  the  better 
classes,  both  the  Scotch  and  Irish  elements  seem  to  be  lack- 
ing and  one  might  imagine  himself  in  London,  wrere  it  not 
for  the  fact  that  in  Dublin  he  hears  the  English  language 
spoken.  The  clear  and  ruddy  English  complexion  and 
English  form  and  features  meet  one  in  the  streets  and  stores. 
I  met,  in  Dublin,  more  people  whose  appearance  indicated 
gentle  breeding  than  any  city  I  have  been  in.  In  the  poor- 
est quarters  the  people  resemble  Kilkeel  or  Rostrevor  and 
the  provincial  dialects  crop  out,  but  the  purest  English  I 
have  heard  spoken  in  her  majesty's  domains  is  by  the  edu- 
cated classes  of  Dublin. 

Of  public  buildings  the  bank  of  Ireland,  in  College 
Green,  is  the  finest.  It  has  a  semi-circular  row  of  Ionic 
columns  fronting  on  the  green,  with  figures  representing  Hi- 
bernia,  Commerce,  and  Fidelity.  It  is  a  fine  specimen  of 
Ionic  architecture  and  was  fifty-eight  years  in  building,  be- 
ing completed  in  1787,  at  a  cost  of  half  a  million  dollars, 
for  the  use  of  the  Irish  Parliament.  The  parliament  met 
here  for  the  last  time,  October  2d,  1800,  when  the  act  of 
union,  uniting  Ireland  with  Great  Britain,  was  passed. 
What  was  formerly  the  House  of  Commons  is  now  the  pub- 
lic office  of  the  bank.  The  House  of  Lords  remains  as 
when  occupied  by  them  and  is  now  used  for  meetings  of 
the  bank  directors.  The  old  Gobelin  tapestries  on  the  walls 
are  very  good,  representing  the  siege  of  Derry,  and  the  bat- 
tle of  the  Boyne.  The  furniture  remains  just  as  when  it 
was  used  by  the  Irish  Lords,  the  only  change  being  that 


DUBLIN   CASTLE.  303 

where  the  throne  formerly  stood  is  now  a  statue  of  George 
III.  After  the  passage  of  the  act  of  union,  the  occupation 
of  the  Irish  law-makers  being  gone,  the  building  was  pur- 
chased by  the  bank  of  Ireland,  for  $200,000.  A  military 
guard  is  always  on  duty  on  the  premises. 

Opposite  the  bank  of  Ireland,  on  College  Green,  is  Trin- 
ity College,  founded  by  Queen  Elizabeth  in  1590.  The 
grounds  occupy  about  thirty  acres  and  are  in  the  heart  of 
the  city.  The  buildings  are  of  granite,  and  arranged  in  three 
separate  quadrangles,  with  an  open  court  in  the  center  of 
about  300x700  feet.  There  is  a  grave,  but  not  gloomy  air 
about  this  old  college,  that  comports  well  with  its  uses  as  a 
seat  of  learning.  At  either  side  of  the  entrance,  which  is 
quite  imposing,  are  statues  of  Burke  and  Goldsmith.  On 
entering  the  inner  court  we  see  directly  in  front  a  beautiful 
Bell  Tower,  erected  by  the  late  Primate  Beresford,  at  a  cost 
of  $50,000.  The  buildings  are  said  to  be  equal  in  their  ad- 
aptation to  college  uses,  to  any  buildings  of  the  kind  in 
Europe,  and  accommodate,  at  present,  about  1,400  students. 

I  had  supposed,  from  my  previous  reading,  that  Sackville 
street  was  the  crowning  architectural  glory  of  the  city,  and 
was  surprised  at  its  plainness.  It  is  about  three  fourths  of  a 
mile  long  and  the  only  remarkable  thing  about  it  is  its  width, 
about  200  feet.  Near  the  center  and  marking  the  line  be- 
tween Upper  and  Lower  Sackville  street  is  Nelson's  Column, 
a  pillar  120  feet  high,  surmounted  by  a  statue  of  the  hero, 
and  affording  from  its  summit  a  fine  view  of  the  city. 

Dublin  Castle  is  the  official  residence  of  the  Lord  Lieu- 
tenant, and  dates  from  the  thirteenth  century.  Earl  Cow- 
per  had  left  a  few  days  previous,  for  England,  and  on  pre- 
senting myself  at  the  castle  yard  and  expressing  a  desire  to 
see  the  state  apartments,  a  young  woman,  bearing  a  large 
key  which  seemed  to  open  every  door,  was  detailed  to  show 
me  through.  The  council  chamber  contains  portraits  of  the 


304 

viceroys  since  1800.  The  presence  chamber  is  finely  deco- 
rated, has  gilded  and  richly  upholstered  furniture,  and  a 
curiously  carved  and  ornamented  throne.  It  is  in  this  room 
the  Lord  Lieutenant  holds  his  receptions.  The  great  ball 
room  is  really  magnificent.  It  is  about  40x80  feet  and  forty 
feet  high,  the  ceiling  being  decorated  with  fine  paintings. 
One  shows  the  conversion  of  the  Irish  by  St.  Patrick  and 
another  Henry  II.  receiving  the  submission  of  the  native 
Irish  chiefs  in  1172.  The  Lord  Lieutenant  being  absent  I 
was  permitted  to  pass  through  the  various  rooms  ordinarily 
occupied  by  his  family.  These  rooms  are  not  large  but 
finely  decorated,  furniture  good,  and  paintings  both  good, 
and  interesting.  The  Royal  Chapel,  completed  in  1814,  at  a 
cost  of  $200,000,  is  a  small  Gothic  edifice  with  an  exceed- 
ingly handsome  interior.  Here  are  displayed  the  coats  of 
arms  of  the  viceroys  from  1172  till  the  present  time. 

Christ's  Church  Cathedral  is  a  very  old  building  and  has 
an  interesting  history,  running  back  to  the  time  of  the 
Danish  Conquest.  It  looks  bran  new,  having  been  recently 
restored,  which  in  this  instance  would  seem  to  mean  rebuilt, 
by  a  munificent  citizen  of  Dublin,  who  spent  on  it  over  a 
million  dollars.  Although  on  a  week  day,  service  was  being 
held  at  the  time  of  my  visit,  and  I  had  an  opportunity  of 
hearing  some  fine  music. 

St.  Patrick's  Church  possesses  much  interest  historically, 
but  is  situated  in  the  most  squalid  part  of  the  city,  a  place 
apparently  dedicated  to  junk  shops,  and  the  tenements  of 
the  poorest  classes.  The  legend  is  that  it  was  originally 
founded  by  St.  Patrick,  and  a  small  and  very  old  crypt  is 
shown  at  the  end  of  one  of  the  aisles,  said  to  have  been 
built  A'.  D.  540,  and  is  all  that  remains  of  the  ancient  church. 
This  church  has  also  been  restored  by  a  citizen  of  Dublin, 
at  a  cost  of  three  quarters  of  a  million  dollars,  but  great 
care  has  been  taken  to  leave  the  interesting  relics  it  con- 


PHCENIX  PARK.  305 

tains  untouched.  There  is  a  stone  font  of  1190,  and  an 
old  chest  for  vestments  of  about  the  same  date  ;  also  a  num- 
ber of  ancient  stone  coffins,  and  carvings  from  the  old 
church.  There  is  a  tablet  to  Duke  Schomberg,  and  sus- 
pended upon  the  wall  the  cannon  ball  which  killed  him  at 
the  battle  of  the  Boyne.  There  is  a  monument  to  Swift 
and  a  tablet  to  Stella.  The  stalls  and  banners  of  the  Knights 
of  St.  Patrick  are  in  this  cathedral,  also  a  number  of  quite 
imposing  memorials  to  soldiers  who  fell  in  India,  China  and 
the  Crimea. 

The  Four  Courts  are  best  seen  from  the  opposite  side  of 
the  river.  A  Corinthian  portico  of  six  columns  rises  in  the 
centre  of  the  grand  front,  which  is  450  feet  long.  On  the 
pediment  is  a  colossal  figure  representing  Moses.  Statues 
of  Mercy,  Justice,  Wisdom  and  Authority  occupy  the  angles. 
A  great  dome  surrounded  by  columns  rises  behind  the  pedi- 
ment. Entering  the  portico  we  are  in  the  grand  Circular 
Hall,  off  from  which  are  the  four  courts  of  Chancery, 
Queen's  Bench,  Common  Pleas,  and  Exchequer.  There  are 
statues  of  deceased  judges,  and  some  interesting  bas-reliefs 
in  this  hall.  The  erection  of  the  Four  Courts  was  com- 
menced in  1776,  and  completed  in  1800,  at  a  cost  of  over  a 
million  of  dollars. 

The  citizens  of  Dublin  take  more  pride  in  their  famous 
Phoenix  Park  than  in  their  beautiful  public  buildings.  It 
has  an  area  of  about  1,800  acres,  and  has  a  People's  Garden 
admirably  laid  out  and  cared  for.  It  contains  the  Zoologi- 
cal Gardens,  the  Viceregal  Lodge  and  Chief  Secretary's 
Lodge.  Near  the  entrance  is  a  tall  quadrangular  stone 
pillar,  erected  in  1816  to  the  Duke  of  Wellington.  It  has 
inscribed  on  it  the  victories  of  the  duke,  and  relievos 
representing  the  signing  of  Catholic  Emancipation,  siege  of 
Seringapatam  and  battle  of  Waterloo.  Not  far  from  the 
Chief  Secretary's  Lodge  is  a  piece  of  ground  known  as  the 


306  KINGSTON. 

"'Fifteen  Acres/'  where  the.  "  Oirish  Jintilmin  o'  the  oulden. 
toime  "  used  to  settle  their  little  differences  before  break- 
fast with  a  pair  of  pistols  at  twelve  paces.  The  park 
is  really  magnificent,  and  has  drives  fifty  feet  wide  and 
several  miles  long,  lined  with  gas  lights  to  illuminate  it  at 
night.  Scores  of  deer  are  sporting  on  the  open  grass,  or 
under  the  great  trees,  which  are  usually  in  clumps  for  land- 
scape effect.  It  is  the  largest  public  park  in  Great  Britain 
and  probably  the  finest.  There  are  several  small  parks 
finely  kept  and  which  add  much  to  the  beauty  of  the  city, 
among  them  Stephen's  green,  Merrion  Square,  and  Mount- 
joy  Square. 

The  Cemetery  of  Glasnevin  is  outside  the  city  limits.  It 
is  small  in  extent  but  well  kept,  and  is  the  shrine  of  many 
pilgrims,  who  come  here  to  visit  the  tomb  of  Daniel  O'Con- 
nell.  The  grounds  being  quite  level,  lack  that  picturesque 
effect  sought  for  in  the  location  of  American  cemeteries. 
By  a  happy  thought,  almost  inspiration  it  would  seem,  the 
monument  that  marks  the  resting  place  of  the  Great  Com- 
moner, is  a  column  modeled  after  the  ancient  round  towers 
of  Ireland.  It  is  a  168  feet  high  and  surmounted  by  a 
cross  eight  feet  in  height.  Beneath  is  a  crypt  containing  the 
remains,  looking  through  the  door  of  which  the  crimson 
coffin  is  seen,  strewn  with  flowers,  thrown  through  the  rail- 
ing by  visitors.  In  simple  majesty  and  appropriateness  I 
have  seen  nothing  in  my  travels  that  compares  with  the  tomb 
of  O'Connell,  unless  it  be  the  tomb  of  Napoleon  at  the 
Invalides. 

Kingston  is  a  fashionable  watering  place  about  six  miles 
from  Dublin.  Previous  to  1881  it  was  a  small  fishing  village 
with  the  less  genteel  name  of  Dunleary.  On  the  occasion 
of  George  IV.  visiting  Ireland,  he  embarked  at  Dunleary  ; 
the  royal  touch  transformed  it  at  once  to  Kingstown,  and  Its 
greatness  and  prosperity  were  assured.  To  commemorate  the 


ATHLONE.  307 

grand  event  a  monument  were  erected,  a  sort  of  obelisk,  with 
a  crown  on  the  top,  to  mark  the  spot  at  which  the  monarch 
quitted  Ireland — which  seems  to  be  a  peculiarly  Irish  idea. 
The  harbor  is  the  finest  in  Ireland,  but  entirely  artificial  and 
built  at  a  cost  of  two  and-a-half  million  dollars.  The  resi- 
dences are  largely  occupied  by  wealthy  citizens  of  Dublin, 
who  are  carried  by  express  trains  to  that  city  in  less  than 
fifteen  minutes.  Hotels  and  first-class  boarding  houses  are 
numerous.  The  business  part  of  the  town  has  some  fine 
stores,  but  is  made  up  largely  of  small  shops  in  almost  every 
line  of  business.  I  shall  principally  remember  Kingston  for 
a  delightful  warm  sea  water  bath,  at  an  extensive  bathing 
establishment,  named  for  her  majesty  the  queen,  and  for  a 
very  comfortable  dinner  in  the  upper  front  room  of  a  modest 
hotel,  enlivened  by  the  ready  wit  of  some  Catholic  priests 
and  students  dining  in  the  same  room.  They  were  brim 
full  of  humor,  and  seemed  to  especially  enjoy  the  fact  that 
a  stranger  should  be  compelled  to  join  in  their  laughter  over 
matters  to  which  he  must  of  course  be  indifferent,  but  their 
good  humor  and  flow  of  spirits  was  contagious. 

Leaving  Dublin,  where  I  had  spent  three  days  very  pleas- 
antly, I  took  the  cars  for  Athlone,  by  way  of  Mullingar. 
My  route  returning  to  Belfast  lay  through  the  disturbed 
districts,  and  the  long  train  was  largely  occupied  by  soldiers 
and  police.  At  Mullingar,  a  considerably  body  of  soldiers 
stood  in  line  at  the  depot  on  our  arrival.  The  presence  of 
the  military  on  the  cars  and  at  the  depots,  gives  to  the 
stranger,  who  do?s  not  desire  to  mix  in  Irish  quarrels,  a  sense 
of  insecurity  that  is  not  agreeable. 

Athlone,  ten  miles  from  Mullingar,  is  on  the  River  Shan- 
non, about  two  miles  from  Lough  Ree,  and  has  a  population 
of  about  6,000.  It  is  an  exceedingly  quiet  town,  apparently 
sleeping  by  the  placid  Shannon,  on  whose  smooth  face  I 
could  not  discover  a  ripple.  The  old  castle,  built  by  King 


308  CONDITION  OF   THE  COUNTRY. 

John,  is  kept  in  good  repair  and  has  been  strengthened  by 
additional  fortifications.  Athlone  was  besieged  by  the  Eng-  • 
lish  in  1690,  and  at  the  bridge  which  marks  the  ancient  ford 
the  armies  of  Ginkell  and  St.  Rath  fought.  There  is  here 
an  extensive  fortified  barracks,  to  accommodate  3,000  troops, 
with  15,000  stands  of  arms  stored  in  its  armory.  The  practis- 
ing of  a  band,  bugle  calls,  squads  drilling  and  sentries  march- 
ing up  and  down  by  the  gates  give  it  a  very  military  aspect, 
especially  when  compared  with  the  quiet  town  it  was  intended 
to  defend. 

Returning  to  Mullingar,  I  passed  on  my  way  to  Belfast, 
stopping  at  most  of  them,  Cavan,  Clones,  Monaghan,  Armagh, 
Portadown,  Lurgan,  Moira  and  Lisburn.  Until  leaving 
Monaghan  the  presence  of  soldiers  indicated  that  I  was  in  the 
disturbed  district.  But  I  feel  that  my  readers  may  be  tired 
with  my  description  of  places,  and  shall  omit  the  return  trip 
from  Athlone. 

To  spend  so  much  time  in  Ireland  and  ignore  its  present 
unsettled  condition,  politically  and  socially,  would  hardly 
satisfy  my  readers,  and  yet,  in  view  of  the  difficulties  of 
the  situation  and  the  complexity  of  the  subject,  one  might 
well  desire  to  avoid  the  question.  Dodging,  however,  was 
never  my  forte,  and  though  I  should  differ  with  valued 
friends,  I  trust  they  will  recognize  my  right  to  have  my  say 
.on  this  as  on  all  other  questions.  I  yield  to  none  of  them  in 
a  strong  desire  for  a  better  state  of  things,  or  a  willingness 
to  aid  in  bringing  it  about.  If  we  differ  it  must  be  as  to 
methods,  our  earnest  desire  as  to  results  is  the  same. 

I  find  the  condition  of  things  worse  than  I  had  been 
led  by  the  newspapers  to  expect.  While  the  more  serious 
outrages  become  public,  the  minor  offences  are  frequently 
concealed  by  the  victims,  who  do  not  care  to  advertise 
the  fact  that  they  are  under  the  ban  of  the  League  or 
suspected  of  opposition  to  its  methods.  There  is  an  or- 


TENANT    FARMERS.  309 

ganized  system  of  terrorism  ;  men  are  afraid  to  carry  out 
their  convictions  in  business  affairs,  or  express  their  sen- 
timents publicly  on  the  state  of  the  country.  The  fact 
that  one  is  an  American  invites  confidence,  and  in  my 
goings  up  and  down,  for  the  past  two  weeks,  I  have  had 
an  opportunity  of  getting  the  views  of  all  classes.  I 
have  no  pet  theory,  no  cure-all  for  existing  evils.  The 
statesmen  of  England  must  continue  to  grapple  with  the 
"  Irish  question  "  without  a  single  ray  from  my  intellectual 
rush-light  to  illumine  their  path.  It  is,  however,  possible 
that  I  may  be  able,  by  a  statement  of  some  facts  which 
I  have  gathered  here,  to  give  my  readers  a  better  idea  of 
the  situation. 

The  land  is  occupied  by  tenant  farmers  who  pay  an  annual 
rent  for  the  use  of  the  land,  varying  of  course  with  its  loca- 
tion and  the  quality  of  the  soil,  but  averaging  say  $6  per 
acre,  more  or  less.  On  taking  up  an  Irish  newspaper  you 
read  that  a  certain  farm  containing  twenty  acres  has  been 
sold  for  $800;  it  does  not  mean  that  the  fee  of  the  land  has 
been  disposed  of,  but  only  the  "tenant  right,"  or  a  right  to 
occupy  at  the  fixed  annual  rental.  In  this  sale  the  owner 
of  the  land  has  not  been  consulted  at  all.  The  purchaser 
knows  what  the  rent  is,  thinks  there  is  money  in  the  farm  at 
that  rate,  and  makes  the  investment.  Take  for  example  the 
farms  on  which  my  father  and  mother  were  born.  Both  have 
been  sold  twice  in  thirty-five  years,  and  each  is  now  occu- 
pied by  a  tenant,  who,  well  knowing  the  amount  of  rent  to  be 
paid,  bought  the  privilege  of  occupying  the  land  and  paying 
the  rent.  Should  the  present  tenants  complain  that  the  rent 
is  too  high,  it  simply  means  that  they  have  deliberately,  and 
of  their  own  free  will,  made  what  they  now  consider  a  bad 
investment,  and  there  does  not  appear  any  more  occasion  for 
sympathy  than  in  the  case  of  any  other  person  who  finds,  or 
thinks,  he  has  made  a  bad  bargain.  But  now  suppose  these 


3IO  THE  LAND  LEAGUE. 

tenants  refuse  to  pay  any  rent,  adopting  the  popular  motto 
"  to  the  tillers  belongs  the  soil,"  and  where  does  the  equity 
come  in?  They  purchased,  one  of  them  within  five  years, 
the  right  to  occupy  the  land  at  a  well-known  rental,  paying, 
not  the  value  of  the  land,  but  what  the  right  to  use  it  was 
supposed  to  be  worth,  and  now  claim  to  own  it!  The  next 
step  of  course  is  to  fortify  this  position  by  compelling  other 
tenants  to  refuse  to  pay  rent,  and  here  is  where  the  lawless- 
ness begins. 

Of  course  I  credit  the  leaders  of  the  land  league  with  the 
best  motives,  but  in  permitting,  winking  at,  or  failing  to  de- 
nounce lawless  attemps  at  coercion,  they  assume  a  fearful 
responsibility.  Should  they  force  a  settlement  of  the  land 
question  on  terms  much  more  favorable  to  the  tenant,  can 
they  arrest  at  pleasure  the  roused  evil  passions  of  the  "camp 
followers?"  May  not  the  men  who  think  they  are  doing 
4t  God's  service  "  by  engaging  in  acts  of  violence  to  carry  out 
the  well  intended  objects  of  the  league,  continue  to  practice 
violence  as  occasion  seems  to  require,  on  their  own  account? 
These  are  serious  questions  and  may  m  possibly  account  for 
the  attitude  of  the  Catholic  clergy,  who  are  thoroughly 
familiar  with  the  situation,  and  actuated  by  the  highest  mo- 
tives. As  a  body  they  do  not  approve  of  the  workings  of 
the  league.  I  heard  a  sermon  in  a  Catholic  church  which 
struck  directly  at  the  league  and  its  methods.  The  subject 
of  the  sermon  might  be  stated  as  "  Christ  our  example  when 
suffering  wrong,"  and  it  was  pointed  in  its  application  to  the 
present  state  of  the  country. 

It  is  claimed  by  some  that  the  whole  thing  might  be 
remedied  by  a  parliament  on  Irish  soil,  and  the  statement  is 
almost  always  made  in  this  connection,  and  with  great  bitter- 
ness too,  that  the  union  with  Great  Britain  was  accomplished 
by  a  barefaced  purchase  of  the  last  Irish  parliament.  Even 
if  we  admit  this  as  a  disagreeable  fact,  does  it  not  bear  quite 


TENANT    FARMS.  311 

as  severely  on  the  men  who  sold  out  their  country  as  upon 
the  foreign  government  that  made  the  purchase?  There 
should  be  local  self  government  in  Ireland,  but  I  have  little 
faith  in  the  legislation  of  any  parliament,  English  or  Irish,  to 
remedy  the  present  evils. 

Ireland  has  now  a  larger  representation  in  parliament  than 
England  or  Scotland,  having  105  members.  Scotland  has 
but  sixty,  and  would  be  entitled  to  fifteen  more  if  it  had  as 
many  members  according  to  its  population  as  Ireland.  If 
England  had  the  same  representation  as  Ireland  it  would 
give  it  twenty  more  members  than  it  now  has.  London, 
with  a  population  four-fifths  as  large  as  Ireland,  has  only 
twenty-two  members  to  Ireland's  105,  and  London,  York- 
shire and  Lancashire,  with  more  than  twice  the  population 
of  Ireland,  have  together  but  ninety-two  members  against 
105  from  Ireland.  It  is  not  therefore  unfair  representation 
in  the  British  parliament  that  causes  the  present  condition 
of  things. 

The  average  size  of  the  400,000  tenant  farms  of  Ireland  is 
something  over  twelve  acres  each.  There  are  of  course 
many  large  farms,  but  the  number  of  these  serves  to  dimin- 
ish the  size  of  the  remainder,  and  farms  of  four  to  six  acres 
are  quite  common.  The  rent  of  a  six-acre  farm  includes  a 
dwelling  house,  and  even  if  $7  or  $8  per  acre  is  charged, 
does  not  amount  to  as  much  as  the  mechanics  or  even  day 
laborers  of  America  pay  for  a  house  alone.  The  American 
laborer  or  mechanic,  however,  earns  good  wages  and  is  able 
to  pay  his  rent  and  support  his  family,  while  the  Irish  tenant 
depends  entirely  on  his  small  farm  for  everything.  This  it 
will  not  supply,  nor  do  I  see  how  legislation  can  help  the 
matter,  unless  the  size  of  the  island  can  be  extended  indefi- 
nitely by  act  of  parliament.  If  rents  were  entirely  abolished 
to-day  it  might  temporarily  check  emigration,  but  the  in- 
crease of  population  would  soon  bring  matters  to  the  same 


312  THE    LAND    ACT. 

state  again.  The  Irish  women  are  true  to  their  husbands, 
willing  to  bear  the  burdens  and  cares  of  maternity,  and  look 
with  horror  on  the  criminal  methods  by  which  the  unborn 
babe  is  murdered  by  an  unnatural  parent.  Large  families 
are  therefore  the  rule,  and  as  the  boys  become  men  how  is 
the  little  farm  to  be  divided?  Even  if  there  was  no  rent  to 
pay,  how  many  square  rods  of  a  six  acre  farm  would  there 
be  for  each  of  the  great  grand  children  of  the  Irish  farmer 
of  to-day? 

(If  disposed  to  pluck  motes  from  the  Irish  eye,  instead  of 
casting  beams  from  the  American  eye,  I  might  here  interject 
a  temperance  speech.  I  might  insist  that  Ireland  deliber- 
ately runs  up  a  bill  for  intoxicating  liquors  and  the  time 
used,  or  rather  wasted,  in  overseeing  their  consumption,  that 
would  more  than  pay  the  rents  of  all  these  small  tenant 
farms,  but  I  forbear,  and  place  this  paragraph  in  parenthesis.) 

To  remedy  existing  evils  the  recent  land  act  was  passed. 
Its  important  provision  is  the  establishment  of  courts  pre- 
sided over  by  three  commissioners  who  determine  the  rental 
of  tenant  farms  for  all  who  may  feel  aggrieved,  the  rent  as 
fixed  by  them  to  remain  unchanged  for  fifteen  years.  The 
forms  are  simple,  and  the  fees  merely  nominal,  but  the  prin- 
ciple involved  is  most  serious.  There  are  landlords  who 
have  for  considerable  sums  bought  valuable  leases  of  large 
tracts,  subdivided  among  small  tenants.  There  are  also 
small  estates,  held  by  the  widows  and  dependent  heirs  of 
deceased  persons,  and  trust  funds  have  been  quite  largely 
invested  in  such  estates.  The  value  of  all  such  holdings  and 
investments  depends  of  course  on  the  amount  of  rent  re- 
ceived, and  this  is  to  be  determined  by  the  land  commission- 
ers. I  can  think  of  no  principle  of  law  or  equity  to  justify 
the  creation  of  such  a  tribunal,  while  the  relief  afforded 
must  be  but  temporary.  So  long  as  the  principal  industry 
of  Ireland  is  raising  on  diminutive  farms  hardy  sons  and 


THE    IRISH    PEOPLE.  313 

daughters,  whose  honest  and  willing  toil  shall  develop  the 
resources  of  America,  the  amount  of  rent  to  be  paid  is  a 
minor  question. 

Of  the  Irish  people  it  is  the  more  ambitious  and  enterpris- 
ing that  make  their  way  to  the  new  world  to  gain  for  them- 
selves a  home  and  a  cpmpetence.  The  shiftless,  the  thrift- 
less, the  lazy,  the  improvident,  seldom  emigrate.  If  they  can 
'  vegetate  at  home,  barely  keeping  soul  and  body  together, 
they  are  contented.  The  great  problem  in  my  mind  is  how 
these  are  to  be  excited  to  an  honorable  ambition  for  a  higher 
style  of  living,  and  an  energy  of  purpose  that  shall  make  its 
accomplishment  certain.  Has  it  come  to  this  that  the  re- 
generation of  Ireland  means  a  plan  by  which  the  people  may 
exist  and  pay  their  rents?  God  forbid.  The  land  league 
served  a  good  purpose  in  forcing  the  attention  of  the  country 
to  the  pressing  need  of  a  radical  change,  and  this  change 
should  mean  nothing  less  than  remunerative  employment, 
comfortable  homes  and  clothing,  nourishing  food,  education 
for  all  the  children,  and  a  chance  to  lay  up  something  for  old 
age  and  a  rainy  day.  I  have  no  faith  in  politicians  or  legis- 
lation. The  change  is  a  social  and  industrial  one,  and  must 
spring  largely  from  the  people  themselves.  An  Irish  parlia- 
ment in  College  Green  would  be  a  good  thing,  but  a  hand- 
some greensward  by  every  dwelling,  taking  the  place  of  the 
rotting  dunghill,  would  be  more  to  the  purpose.  I  yield  to 
no  man  in  my  desire  for  a  better  state  of  things  here,  but  the 
grand  idea  "  Ireland  for  the  Irish,"  can  only  be  carried  out 
when  the  masses  rise  in  the  dignity  of  their  manhood  and 
show  themselves  capable  of  better  things.  I  believe,  could 
the  present  inhabitants  be  exported  to  America  and  the  Irish 
in  America  return  to  their  native  land,  they  would  in  less 
than  fifty  years  own  the  island,  and  run  it  as  a  republic,  with- 
out taking  up  subscriptions  from  their  friends  in  America 
either. 


314  TRAMPINGS. 

Belgium,  with  an  inferior  climate  and  soil,  has  nearly  five 
times  as  many  inhabitants  to  the  square  mile,  supported  by 
manufacturing,  and  in  this  direction  is,  I  think,  the  only  hope 
for  Ireland.  To  make  industrious  mechanics  of  the  shiftless 
small  farmers  is  a  formidable  but  not  a  hopeless  task.  To 
convince  capital  that  it  can  be  done  to,  a  profit  may  not  be 
so  easy,  and  until  the  country  becomes  settled  and  life  and 
property  secure,  it  will  not  be  possible.  As  I  regard  it, 
every  act  of  violence  in  Ireland  delays  the  hour  of  her  final 
redemption. 

And  what  shall  I  say  of  my  trampings  up  and  down  in  the 
land,  walking  in  highways  and  by-ways  from  morning  till 
night,  stopping  at  the  rude  cabin  for  a  drink  of  water  or 
obtaining  a  meal  at  the  more  pretentious  farm  house.  It 
can't  be  told,  but  the  experience  was  novel  and  always  to  be 
remembered.  The  weather  has  been  delightful,  summer 
weather  they  call  it  here,  but  it  is  more  like  the  Michigan 
Indian  summer  that  comes  in  October.  I  found  walking  a 
pleasure,  the  country  roads  are  graveled  and  traveling  on 
their  grassy  sides  is  easy.  The  farmers  are  cutting  their 
oats  and  in  some  places  the  crop  is  marvelous.  In  a  field 
near  Moira,  it  seemed  to  me  impossible  that  so  many  shocks 
could  have  grown  in  it;  they  almost  touched  each  other.  To 
satisfy  myself  I  went  to  a  distant  corner  where  they  were 
still  cutting  and  made  sure  that  some  had  not  been  drawn 
in  from  other  fields.  I  never  saw  such  a  crop.  Reaping 
machines  are  used  occasionally,  resembling  very  much  the 
American  reaper  but  heavier;  indeed  so  heavy  as  to  make  it 
almost  impossible  for  two  ordinary  horses  to  draw  them 
when  cutting.  Most  of  the  reaping,  however,  is  done  with 
the  sickle,  and  as  in  other  European  countries,  the  women 
work  in  the  fields  with  the  men,  and  seem  able  to  acomplish 
just  as  much.  Remarking  on  the  women  at  work  in  the 
fields  to  a  rather  intelligent  farmer,  he  replied  quickly,  "  An 


THE  CHILDREN.  315 

dudn't  Ave,  (Eve)  hilp  to  kape  the  gairden?"  I  was  not 
sufficiently  confident  of  my  bible  lore  to  contradict  him,  or 
insist  that  Eve  had  devoted  most  of  her  time  to  playing  the 
piano,  painting  saucers,  attending  sewing  societies,  shopping 
and  making  calls,  so  I  wisely  dropped  the  subject. 

The  children  are  a  study,  wading  in  mud  puddles,  rolling 
in  the  dirt,  bare  headed  and  bare-legged,  seeming  indeed 
as  they  rise  up  from  the  ground  to  shyly  look  at  the  passing 
stranger,  as  if  made  of  "the  dust  of  the  earth,"  and  the  sur- 
plus dust  used  in  the  manufacture  not  yet  rubbed  off.  And 
yet,  as  I  looked  at  their  frowzy  heads,  brown  faces  and 
black  feet,  I  could  not  help  thinking  that  it  might  not  be 
wholly  to  their  advantage  to  change  places  and  conditions 
with  the  fragile  darlings  so  tenderly  cared  for  in  luxurious 
homes. 

I  wish  the  man  who  invented  the  combined-reciprocal- 
self-acting  house-and-pig-sty,  had  died  with  the  secret  in 
his  bosom.  It  is  altogether  too  handy.  A  division  ofj  the 
several  parts  .might  require  more  steps  on  the  part  of 
the  family,  but  would  comport  better  with  American 
ideas  about  such  things.  And  yet  the  dwellers  in  these  low 
thatched  cottages  are  saved  from  many  sorrows  and  discom- 
forts. They  do  not  spend  weary  days  and  nights  watching 
their  consumptive  darlings,  dearer  to  them  than  life,  fade 
away.  Their  sons  do  not  become  stunted  little  men  at 
fourteen,  and  acquire  all  the  vices  before  they  are  two  years 
older.  Their  daughters  do  not  bring  down  the  gray  heads 
of  father  and  mother  in  sorrow  to  the  grave  by  choosing  a 
life  of  shame.  It  requires  not  pepsin  to  aid  digestion  or  chlo- 
ral to  give  them  sleep.  No  torturing  headaches  will  ever 
reveal  to  them  the  fact  that  nerves  constitute  a  part  of  the 
human  system,  nor  shall  a  single  twinge  of  gout  interfere 
with  locomotion-.  I  might  mention  scores  of  other  ills  both 
mental  and  physical  from  which  their  condition  exempts 


316  CONCLUSION. 

them.       Poverty  is  not  an  unmixed  evil ;    it  has  its  compen- 
sations. 

Many  other  things  appear  on  my  note  books  which  might 
be  of  interest  to  my  readers,  but  I  am  informed  by  the 
printer  that  I  have  already  exceeded  my  allotted  space  by 
twenty  pages.  The  return  voyage  was  tedious,  and  tem- 
pestuous, even  to  the  point  of  serious  danger.  I  spent 
much  time  in  preparing  a  graphic  description  of  this  ter- 
rible storm,  but  on  reading  it  to  a  friend,  he  remarked 
in  the  most  provoking  manner,  "  Not  so  good  as  David's." 
I  proceeded  at  one  to  investigate  and  compare.  The 
Psalmist  probably  described  a  squall  encountered  in  a 
fishing  boat  on  the  little  inland  lake  known  as  the  sea  of 
Galilee,  or  possibly  a  gale  on  the  Syrian  coast  of  the 
Mediterranean,  in  a  craft  not  much  larger,  while  I  had  un- 
dertaken to  describe  a  hurricane  in  mid- Atlantic  !  I  de- 
liberately consigned  the  only  piece  of  "  fine  writing "  I 
ever  attempted,  to  the  waste  basket,  and  give  "  David's  :  " 
"  For  he  commandeth,  and  raiseth  the  stormy  wind,  which 
lifteth  up  the  waves  thereof.  They  mount  up  to  heaven, 
they  go  down  again  to  the  depths  ;  their  soul  is  melted 
because  of  trouble.  They  reel  to  and  fro,  and  sto 
like  a  drunken  man,  and  are  at  their  wits  end. 
they  cry  unto  the  Lord  in  their  trouble,  and  he  1 
them  out  of  their  distress.  He  maketh  the  sto*. 
calm,  so  that  the  waves  thereof  are  still.  Then  are  they 
glad  because  they  be  quiet  ;  so  that  He  bringeth  them 
unto  their  desired  haven.  Oh  that  men  would  praise 
the  Lord  for  His  goodness,,  and  for  His  wonderful  works 
to  the  children  of  men  ! 


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